World Cup 2026 football will help with offside and handball decisions, says Adidas

Adidas has unveiled its official match ball for next summer’s World Cup and claimed the Trionda’s new technology will enable faster offside decisions and help identify handball offences.

England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham helped launch the ball, the name of which translates as ‘three waves’, featuring a red, green and blue design to represent the three host nations – the United States, Mexico and Canada.

But Adidas said the most advanced features of the ball are hidden from view, with the Trionda featuring the company’s latest ‘connected ball technology’ to aid in-game officiating decisions and offering more insight into gameplay.

The Trionda ball includes the latest Connected Ball Technology to enable officials to make quicker decisions. — *The Trionda ball includes the latest Connected Ball Technology to enable officials to make quicker decisions*. PA Media

The ball’s inertial measurement unit chip sits inside a specially created layer rather than a centre-mounted system as used previously.

It is designed to send real-time data to the video assistant referee system which, when combined with player position data, should provide faster offside decisions. The technology can also help identify each individual touch of the ball, which can help with possible handball incidents.

The ball is constructed from four panels which come together to form a triangle, said to represent the three nations coming together to host the 48-team tournament, which will kick off on June 11 and culminate in the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19.