Crossing summary: The ball is fairly easy to control and read but it does still have the potential to create havoc for goalkeepers if they get the timing and/or technique wrong.

In 2020 the brand launched the adidas Football Collective – a new movement committed to creating change through football, that brings together past, current, and future initiatives aiming to empower teams and football communities around the world. Designed from the inside out using data from rigorous testing in adidas labs, wind tunnels, and on-pitch, Al Rihla provides the highest level of accuracy and reliability on the field of play, due in part to its new panel shape and surface textures: Like in crossing situations, the speed of the ball can catch you by surprise but overall, it is a joy to catch. The launch in Qatar will be the starting point of a journey of possibility as Al Rihla travels to locations around the world to create a series of purposeful activations. Each activation aims to help improve access and equity experienced by those in the local footballing communities in locations including Dubai, Tokyo, Shanghai, Mexico City or New York, among others.It’s a nice and good ball. If you hit it hard, it feels light, but if you hit it soft it could feel heavy. When you hit the ball correctly it gets really good speed. A lot of other balls move quite a lot in the air, but this one doesn’t do anything crazy. It’s really hard on the surface, which I like because it’s easier to control. I’ve used other balls that feel more like a pillow, which can also be nice, but feel a little strange and more difficult to control. It is also a really nice ball to head and control or clear to a team-mate.” Ever since Adidas introduced the Teamgeist for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, it has felt like it has tried to outdo itself and create a ball that is wilder and more unpredictable than the last. The Jabulani (2010), Brazuca (2014), and Telstar (2018) all had their own quirks that resulted in some crazy and unpredictable goals while being a nightmare to handle for goalkeepers. Though the movement may not be as extreme as the Jabulani, it’s clear that Al Rihla’s movement and speed will still have the potential to cause all sorts of headaches for the goalkeeper. We are also proud to continue our work with Common Goal, with 1% of Al Rihla’s net sales supporting the movement, together using football as a vehicle to drive social change and meaningful impact for the lives of young people.” Small-sided game conclusion: Obstructions in front of the goalkeeper occasionally make it difficult to follow the trajectory of shots on target and catch up to the speed of Al Rihla.

Al Rihla translates as “the journey” in Arabic and has been inspired by the architecture, iconic boats, and the flag of Qatar. The launch will mark the start of Al Rihla's journey to 10 cities across the globe where adidas is creating a series of initiatives aimed at improving access and equity in sport amongst local communities. The next video is of some goals and saves from our small-sided game so you can see what Al Rihla is able to do. Distribution summary: It’s easy and enjoyable to distribute over both shorter and longer distances, and overall very accurate. SPEEDSHELL – The ball’s polyurethane (PU) skin featuring micro and macro textures and a new 20-piece panel shape, which enhances aerodynamics to improve the accuracy, flight stability and swerve of shotsThe ball was also designed with the environment at its heart - all components have been carefully considered, and Al Rihla is the first World Cup ball made using only water-based inks and glues. After using the ball for much of the past six months, I think Adidas achieved what it wanted in creating a ball that is fast, accurate and reliable for the World Cup in Qatar. As a goalkeeper who has had to deal with the unpredictability of the Telstar and Jabulani, it’s a breath of fresh air to have a more “normal” and realistic ball. I believe most of the goalkeepers at this winter’s tournament will agree. Shot-stopping summary: The ball has a fairly normal flight, but when hit with a particular technique it is still able to wobble, dance, and swerve in the air like other Adidas World Cup balls of the past. Today, adidas reveals Al Rihla – the Official Match Ball for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 ™ . It is the 14 th successive ball adidas has created for the FIFA World Cup ™ and is designed to support the highest game speeds as it travels faster in flight than any other World Cup ball. Al Rihla is the first World Cup ball in the 92-year history of the tournament which will directly contribute to raising funds to positively impact lives across the world, with 1% of Al Rihla ’ s net sales contributed going to the Common Goal movement.

Once training was over, I sat down with a few of the more experienced outfield players from our team to get their thoughts and experiences with Al Rihla, and how they believe it will be received at the World Cup. This is what they said… As a goalkeeper myself, I wasn’t always thrilled with the results of World Cup balls and how silly my colleagues were made to look at times, but as a football fan, I understood Adidas’ thinking: create a ball that will be fun and exciting for a majority of the fans around the globe. With shots from close range, it’s vital the goalkeeper gets both hands behind the ball with support from the thumbs to help ease it softly into your grip. When we started using Al Rihla in April, it took a few training sessions for our goalkeepers to get used to its speed and power, leading to spills and errors from shots they normally handled with ease. After warming up with crosses, the next step was to get the hands ready for the shot-stopping portion of our training with closer-range grip and handling exercises. The game is getting faster, and as it speeds up, accuracy and flight stability becomes critically important. The new design allows the ball to maintain its speed significantly higher as it journeys through the air . For the biggest global stage in all of sport, we set out to make the impossible, possible with radical innovation by creating the fastest and most accurate World Cup ball to-date,” said Franziska Loeffelmann, Design Director - Football Graphics & Hardwear, adidas.

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With Al Rihla, it’s incredibly important for goalkeepers to get their decision-making spot on, including the timing of set position and the decision-making of when and how to dive. Get any of these wrong and you’ll be a step or two behind. Starting its journey in Qatar, Al Rihla will be unveiled alongside World Cup greats, Casillas and Kaka, and iconic players, Farah Jefry and Nouf Al Anzi. They will be joined on pitch by a diverse mix of talent featuring aspiring woman football players from Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and some young next generation players from Aspire academy. Al Rihla will debut on a specially created pitch at the launch event before being transported and donated to Challenge F.C., Saudi Arabia ’ s first ever women ’ s football league champions, to become a permanent fixture in Riyadh, delivering lasting impact for this team, who are currently without a permanent training facility.

CTR-CORE – An innovative core within the ball that is tuned to improve accuracy and consistency, supporting fast, precise play with maximum shape and air retention Footballs come in a whole range of styles, with new designs and manufacturing processes every season. Every tournament gives rise to a new football to be used especially for that tournament, with each competition and league following suite with their designated seasonal balls. Although this isn't something that most players need to concern themselves with, playing with a high quality football will improve the playing experience. As will a good pair of football boots, so it's important to do your research and try lots on to find the right ones for you. TRAINING FOOTBALLS Even though our goalkeepers have been using Al Rihla for much of the year, there were times during play when they would be beaten purely because of the pace of the ball. In the moments when they got the technique wrong as well, making a save became nearly impossible. Once our goalkeepers got their hands warm, we then moved on to shot-stopping, where they faced shots from outside the box at varying angles to prepare them for the small-sided games with the rest of the team.

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We started our training with crossing exercises from various distances and angles to get warm and prepare in several different fundamentals of goalkeeping (spatial awareness, footwork, handling and distribution) while getting used to the flight and pace of the ball.