{{Short description|2022 FIFA World Cup official ball}} {{Infobox product | title = Al Rihla<br>الْرِّحْلَة | image = Al-Rihla (cropped).jpg | image_size = 256px | alt = | caption = | type = [[ball (association football)|Football]] | manufacturer = [[Adidas]] | inception = March 2022 | available = Yes | current supplier = [[Forward Sports]] | last production = | models = | website = | notes = }}
The '''Adidas Al Rihla''' ({{Langx|ar|الْرِّحْلَة|translit=ar-riḥla|lit=The Journey<!--|engvar=-->}}) is a [[Ball (association football)|ball]] used for [[association football]] and produced by [[Adidas]]. It was the [[List of FIFA World Cup official match balls|official match ball]] of the [[2022 FIFA World Cup]] in [[Qatar]], and has also been used as the official match ball for the [[Saudi Professional League]] and for the [[Qatar Stars League]] for the 2022–23 season. The ball contains a suspended [[inertial measurement unit]] inside its bladder that supplies the [[video assistant referee]] with instantaneous, highly detailed ball movement data. The ball was designed for sustainability, being the first [[List of FIFA World Cup official match balls|FIFA World Cup official match ball]] to be produced with environmentally friendly inks and adhesives.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Qatar World Cup: Al Rihla, a football inspired by the architecture, boats, and flag of Qatar |url=https://gulfnews.com/qatar-world-cup-2022/news-views/qatar-world-cup-al-rihla-a-football-inspired-by-the-architecture-boats-and-flag-of-qatar-1.1668613453931 |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=gulfnews.com |language=en}}</ref>
== History == Adidas unveiled Al Rihla on March 30, 2022.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Pyzdrowski |first=Matt |title=How does the 2022 World Cup ball stack up with previous editions? Reviewing 'Al Rihla' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3776004/2022/11/10/world-cup-2022-ball-review-al-rihla/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=The Athletic |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title="الرحلة" .. تعرف على الكرة الرسمية لبطولة كأس العالم 2022 في قطر {{!}} Goal.com |url=https://www.goal.com/ar-eg/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%81-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B7%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A9-%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85-2022-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B1/blt839c48199a56574b |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=www.goal.com}}</ref> The presentation in Qatar featured former World Cup winners [[Kaká]] (Brazil) and [[Iker Casillas]] (Spain), as well as [[Farah Jefry]] (Saudi Arabia) and [[Nouf Al Anzi]] (United Arab Emirates).<ref>{{Cite web |last=National |first=The |date=2022-03-31 |title=Kaka and Iker Casillas unveil 'Al Rihla' match ball for Qatar World Cup 2022 |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2022/03/31/kaka-and-iker-casillas-unveil-al-rihla-match-ball-for-qatar-world-cup-2022/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=The National |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=السعودية "فرح جفري" تدشن كرة المونديال الرسمية مع أساطير اللعبة |url=https://aawsat.com/home/article/3563506/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A9-%C2%AB%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%AD-%D8%AC%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%8A%C2%BB-%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%B4%D9%86-%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%B9-%D8%A3%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%A9 |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=الشرق الأوسط |language=ar}}</ref> Al Rihla means ''The Journey'' or ''The Trip'' in [[Arabic]].<ref name="2022-03-30-fifa" /> ''[[Rihla]]'' is also a traditional genre of [[Arabic literature]] about journeys, such as the 14th century travelogue of [[Ibn Battuta]], known simply as ''[[The Rihla]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-23 |title=Telstar, Azteca, Jabulani, Al Rihla: A short history of Fifa World Cup balls |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sports/fifa-qatar-world-cup-football-a-history-8284747/ |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
About 70% of the world's supply of footballs is produced in [[Sialkot]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 November 2022 |title=This Is Where Most of the World’s Soccer Balls Come From |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2022-world-cup-soccer-ball-adidas-al-rihla-sialkot/ |access-date=1 February 2025 |work=[[Businessweek]] |department= |publisher=[[Bloomberg.com]] |language=en}}</ref> Pakistani-based multinational company [[Forward Sports]] provided [[FIFA]] with 35% of over 300,000 Al Rihla match balls.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hussain |first=Bilal |date=20 November 2022 |title=Pakistan-made footballs at FIFA World Cup 2022: the 'crown jewel' for Sialkot's Forward Sports |url=https://www.brecorder.com/news/40209781 |access-date= |work=[[Business Recorder]] |department=National News |pages=3 |language=en |publication-place=Karachi |volume=LVIII |issue=318}}</ref> It manufactured 5.5 million balls in 2022, including 60,000 high quality replicas used by teams for training in Qatar.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Abbas |first=Naeem |date=9 December 2022 |others= |title='Made-in-Sialkot' Adidas ball puts Pakistan in the World Cup |url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/made-in-sialkot-adidas-ball-puts-pakistan-world-cup-2022-12-09/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203040512/https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/made-in-sialkot-adidas-ball-puts-pakistan-world-cup-2022-12-09/ |archive-date=3 February 2023 |access-date= |work=[[Reuters]] |department=Lifestyle |location=[[Sialkot, Pakistan]] |language=en-US |publication-date=10 December 2022 }}</ref> Adidas subcontracted Forward Egypt, a subsidiary of Forward Sports, to produce 1,500 balls.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Shamaa |first=Mohammed |date=2022-12-04 |title=Prime minister hails 'made in Egypt' footballs for World Cup |work=[[Arab News]] |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/2210771/middle-east |access-date=2022-12-18}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Wanjiku |first=Bertha |date=2022-11-14 |title=FIFA World Cup 2022: ball, price, design, weight, photos |url=https://sportsbrief.com/facts/teams/27550-fifa-world-cup-2022-ball-price-design-weight-photos/ |access-date=2022-11-21 |website=SportsBrief |archive-date=2022-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207212306/https://sportsbrief.com/facts/teams/27550-fifa-world-cup-2022-ball-price-design-weight-photos/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> For souvenir sale, replicas of Al Rihla were also provided by Adidas, but its production subcontracted to another company in [[Madiun Regency|Madiun]], Indonesia- Global Way.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Al Rihla, Bola Resmi Piala Dunia 2022 Ternyata Produksi Madiun |url=https://www.dream.co.id/stories/al-rihla-bola-resmi-piala-dunia-2022-ternyata-produksi-madiun-221121j.html |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=Dream.co.id |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Aditya |first=Surya |date=2022-11-30 |title=Adidas Bantah Bola Resmi Piala Dunia 2022 Dibuat di Indonesia |url=https://www.viva.co.id/bola/bola-sejagat/1549912-adidas-bantah-bola-resmi-piala-dunia-2022-dibuat-di-indonesia |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=Viva.co.id |language=id}}</ref>
[[FIFA]] and [[Qatar Airways]] partnered with [[SpaceX]] on a unique promotional element during the [[Eutelsat]] [[Hot Bird|Hotbird 13F]] mission launched on 15 October 2022.
On this flight, the Falcon 9 first stage booster [[List of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters#Booster 1069|B1069.3]] carried a hosted promotional payload created for the [[2022 FIFA World Cup]] in Qatar.
The payload was a small box equipped with [[Starlink]] hardware, and inside it were two Adidas Al Rihla footballs (the official match balls of the tournament). The box remained attached to the first stage throughout the mission, and after landing, it was recovered along with the balls, which were then used for World Cup–related activities.<ref>{{cite tweet |author=GewoonLukas_ ☃️🎄 |user=GewoonLukas_ |number=1602381923057270796 |date=12 December 2022 |title=Based on the video of the booster landing on the droneship, I was able to match this with the landing of B1069 during the Eutelsat Hotbird 13F mission. |access-date=15 December 2022|link=no}}</ref>
== Description == [[File:2022-06-24 Fussball, Frauen, Länderspiel, Deutschland - Schweiz 1DX 0835 by Stepro.jpg|thumb|Al Rihla photographed in June 2022 with [[Merle Frohms]]]] Al Rihla's membrane is made of twenty seamless, thermally bonded [[polyurethane]] panels.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2022-11-20 |title=سريعة و"ذكية".. ما لا تعرفه عن كرة مونديال 2022! |url=https://www.alarabiya.net/last-page/2022/11/20/%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%B0%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%81%D9%88%D8%A7-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%84%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%85%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84-2022 |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=العربية |language=ar}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Its "Speedshell" surface is textured with [[Paper embossing|debossed]] macro and micro patterns, designed to improve the ball's flight stability and swerve.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=US |first=John Eric Goff, The Conversation |title=Men's World Cup Soccer Ball, the Al Rihla, Has the Aerodynamics of a Champion |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mens-world-cup-soccer-ball-the-al-rihla-has-the-aerodynamics-of-a-champion/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=Scientific American |language=en}}</ref><ref name="2022-03-30-fifa" /> Franziska Loffelmann, a design director at Adidas, describes Al Rihla as "the fastest and most accurate FIFA World Cup ball to date."<ref name="2022-03-30-fifa" /> Independent testing of the ball revealed that it has performance characteristics similar to the predecessor [[Adidas Telstar 18|Telstar 18]] and [[Adidas Brazuca|Brazuca]] balls.<ref name="2022-11-20-at" />
The ball also features "connected ball technology," which includes a suspension system inside the ball's bladder with an [[inertial measurement unit]] (IMU) at the center that provides the [[video assistant referee]] (VAR) with highly accurate ball-movement data within seconds.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=2022-07-01 |title=adidas reveals the first FIFA World Cup official match ball featuring connected ball technology |url=https://news.adidas.com/football/adidas-reveals-the-first-fifa-world-cup--official-match-ball-featuring-connected-ball-technology/s/cccb7187-a67c-4166-b57d-2b28f1d36fa0 |access-date=2022-11-21 |website=adidas News Site {{!}} Press Resources for all Brands, Sports and Innovations |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last1=Yao |first1=Yuchen |last2=Dixon |first2=Gareth |date=2022-11-02 |title=IP grandstanding at the 2022 soccer World Cup |url=https://www.spruson.com/patents/ip-grandstanding-at-the-2022-soccer-world-cup/ |access-date=2022-11-21 |website=Spruson & Ferguson |language=en-AU}}</ref> This technology was developed by [[FIFA]] and [[Kinexon]], based in Munich.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" />
According to FIFA, the look of the ball is inspired by the [[Culture of Qatar|culture]], architecture, [[Dhow|Dhow boats]] and [[Flag of Qatar|flag]] of Qatar.<ref name="2022-03-30-fifa" /> The blue, red, and yellow color scheme is meant to represent the Qatari landscape.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Llewellyn |first1=Aisyah |title='Very proud': Indonesia makes mark in Qatar with official ball |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/11/28/very-proud-indonesia-leaves-mark-with-official-world-cup-ball#:~:text=The%20ball%20features%20a%20panel,less%20harmful%20to%20the%20environment. |website=aljazeera.com |access-date=12 December 2022}}</ref>
On the "Pro" version of the ball, one can read "Football is..." and, all around it, the words "teamwork - fair play - collective - responsibility - passion - respect" in six languages: [[English language|English]], [[Arabic]], [[Mandarin Chinese]], [[French language|French]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], and [[Esperanto]].<ref>{{cite web|language=en|url=https://www.adidas.com/us/al-rihla-pro-ball/H57783.html|title=Adidas Al Rihla Pro Ball}}</ref>
===Final matches – Al Hilm=== [[File:Predio Deportivo Lionel Andrés Messi - BugWarp 04 (cropped).jpg|thumb|The {{Tooltip|Al Hilm|Translation: The Dream.}}, the match ball that replaced the Al Rihla for the semi-finals and the final]] The match ball for the [[2022 FIFA World Cup Final]] was announced on 11 December 2022. It is a variation of the Al Rihla, named the '''Adidas Al Hilm''' ({{Langx|ar|الحلم|al-ḥulm|the dream<!--|engvar=-->}}, a reference to "every nation's dream of lifting the FIFA World Cup").<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 December 2022|title=adidas reveals the FIFA World Cup official Finals match ball|url=https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/media-releases/introducing-al-hilm-the-official-match-ball-of-the-fifa-world-cup-qatar-2022-finals|access-date=11 December 2022|website=FIFA.com|publisher=FIFA |language=en}}</ref>
<!--Whilst the technical aspects of the ball are the same, the colour is different from the Al-Rihla balls used in the group stages and preceding knockout games, with a ''Gold Metallic'', maroon, ''Collegiate Burgundy'', and red design, a reference to the [[Flag of Qatar|national colors]] of host nation [[Qatar]] and the golden colors shared by the [[2022 FIFA World Cup Final|Final]]'s [[Lusail Stadium|venue]] and the [[FIFA World Cup Trophy]]. -->The Al Hilm was used for the Semi-finals, 3rd position playoff and the final of the World Cup 2022. It is the fifth special ball for FIFA World Cup semi-final and final matches designed by Adidas, the previous four being the [[Adidas Teamgeist|+Teamgeist Berlin]] ([[2006 FIFA World Cup Final|2006]]), the [[Adidas Jabulani|Jabulani]] ([[2010 FIFA World Cup Final|2010]]), the [[Adidas Brazuca|Brazuca Final Rio]] ([[2014 FIFA World Cup Final|2014]]), and the [[Adidas Telstar 18|Telstar Mechta]] ([[2018 FIFA World Cup Final|2018]]).<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 2022|title=FIFA World Cup™ Balls History: How It Became a Game-Changer|url=https://www.adidas.co.uk/blog/953719-fifa-world-cuptm-balls-history-how-it-became-a-gamechanger|publisher=Adidas|language=en|access-date=2 November 2022}}</ref>
Al Hilm includes the same text and languages as the Al Rihla ball, but in a different configuration.
==See also== * [[List of FIFA World Cup official match balls]]
== References == <references>
<ref name="2022-03-30-fifa">{{Cite web |title=Al Rihla by adidas revealed as FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Official Match Ball |url=https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/media-releases/al-rihla-by-adidas-revealed-as-fifa-world-cup-qatar-2022-tm-official-match |access-date=2022-11-20 |date=2022-03-30 |website=www.fifa.com |language=en}}</ref> <ref name="2022-11-20-at">{{cite news |last1=Goff |first1=John Eric |title=The World Cup ball has the aerodynamics of a champion |url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/11/the-world-cup-ball-has-the-aerodynamics-of-a-champion/ |access-date=23 November 2022 |work=Ars Technica |date=20 November 2022 |language=en-us}}</ref>
</references>
{{s-start}} {{succession box|title=[[List of FIFA World Cup official match balls|FIFA World Cup official ball]]|before=[[Adidas Telstar 18|Telstar 18]] |after=[[Adidas Trionda|Trionda]] |years=[[2022 FIFA World Cup|2022]]}} {{s-end}}{{Adidas}}{{2022 FIFA World Cup}} {{FIFA World Cup official match balls}}
[[Category:Adidas footballs|Al Rihla]] [[Category:2022 FIFA World Cup]] [[Category:FIFA World Cup balls]] [[Category:Products introduced in 2022]] [[Category:Goods manufactured in Pakistan]]