Every World Cup leaves behind an image that outlives the final scoreline. In 1970 it was the black-and-white Telstar spinning into colour television history. In 2010, the controversial Jabulani swerved through South African air. In 2022, Al Rihla raced across Qatari stadiums at unprecedented speed. For the expanded, continent-spanning, that defining visual will be a white ball streaked with red, blue, and green waves: Trionda.
Created for the first 48-team World Cup in history, Trionda is built to cope with scale. This tournament will be played across three countries, multiple climates, varying altitudes and a record number of matches. The ball at the centre of it all has been engineered for one overriding goal: absolute consistency.
🌍 A Name That Reflects Three Hosts
The name “Trionda” blends two ideas. “Tri” points to the three host nations: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. “Onda”, Spanish for wave, captures the movement of football culture flowing across borders.
That concept is carried directly into the design. Flowing wave graphics wrap around the ball in three dominant colours:
- Red, echoing Canada’s national palette
- Blue, a nod to the United States
- Green, drawn from Mexico’s colours and pre-Columbian visual motifs
Rather than separating these identities, the design interlocks them. No single colour dominates. Like the tournament itself, the ball is a shared stage.
🧩 The Fewest Panels in World Cup History
For decades, footballs were stitched from dozens of pieces. Modern World Cups have steadily reduced that number to improve aerodynamics. Trionda takes the idea further than ever before.
It uses just four large, thermally bonded panels.
- Fewer seams mean smoother airflow
- A near-seamless surface reduces unpredictable movement
- Thermal bonding prevents water absorption in wet conditions
The objective is simple: when a player strikes the ball, it should travel exactly as intended, whether that strike happens in humid summer heat, dry desert air, or a cool night under a closed stadium roof.
🎯 Tuned for Modern, High-Speed Football
Today’s elite game is faster and more vertical than ever. Long diagonal passes, early crosses, and shots from distance are routine. Trionda’s shape and surface texture are designed to support that style.
A finely textured outer skin gives players more grip and control at contact. Inside, a precision-engineered core maintains roundness and air pressure over repeated impacts.
The result is a ball that holds its line in flight. Goalkeepers get fewer surprises. Strikers get a truer strike. Midfielders can switch play with confidence that the ball will not dip or wobble unexpectedly.
🏟️ Built for a Continent, Not a City
Most World Cups are confined to one country. In 2026, teams will travel thousands of kilometres between matches. Conditions will vary dramatically from venue to venue.
Engineering the ball for that reality was crucial. Trionda is tested to behave the same:
- At sea level and at altitude
- On natural grass and hybrid surfaces
- In dry heat, humidity, and cooler evening air
For players, that uniformity removes one variable from an already demanding tournament.
📜 A New Chapter in a Long Line of Icons
Every generation remembers a World Cup ball. Some became loved classics, others sparked debate, but each marked a step in football’s technical evolution.
| Year | Ball | What Changed |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Telstar | Black/white pattern for television |
| 1998 | Tricolore | First multi-colour World Cup ball |
| 2006 | Teamgeist | Thermally bonded panels replace stitching |
| 2010 | Jabulani | Radical aerodynamics, heavy debate |
| 2014 | Brazuca | Greater flight stability |
| 2018 | Telstar 18 | Integrated digital/NFC features |
| 2022 | Al Rihla | Faster, more direct trajectory |
| 2026 | Trionda | Ultra-smooth four-panel construction |
Trionda’s legacy will ultimately be written by the moments played with it: opening goals, last-minute winners, and perhaps the decisive kick of the final.
⚽ One Ball for Every Match
From the first group game to the championship decider, the same core Trionda model will be used throughout the tournament. Special cosmetic editions may appear for landmark matches, but the performance characteristics will remain identical.
That continuity ensures players are always competing with the same feel and response under their boots, no matter the stage or the stakes.
World Cups are remembered through images as much as through scorelines. In 2026, when highlights roll for decades to come, the ball flashing through those frames will carry the colours of three nations and the imprint of a new era.
Trionda is designed to be invisible in the best possible way: not a talking point, not a distraction, but a precise, reliable instrument for the world’s best players on football’s biggest stage.
