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.

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 shotsIt’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.” 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. 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. Distribution summary: It’s easy and enjoyable to distribute over both shorter and longer distances, and overall very accurate. 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.

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. Like in crossing situations, the speed of the ball can catch you by surprise but overall, it is a joy to catch. 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… 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 FOOTBALLSCTR-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 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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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.

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.” 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.