In conjunction with the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar; and in celebration of Al Rihla, the latest in a long line of Three Stripes match balls, adidas welcomes athletes and fans of football alike, to explore the evolution of the game at the adidas Official Match Ball Roadshow starting from 10th to 20th November 2022 at the Orange Concourse, Sunway Pyramid, before heading to Johor in the first week of December.
Innovating the official match balls for over five decades, adidas has played an integral role in the evolution of the World Cup. Since 1970, adidas has consistently refined each iteration of the World Cup official match ball, with different materials and designs mirroring the evolution of the game. Decades of this research and progress have culminated in this year’s World Cup Official Match Ball and focus of the roadshow, the Al Rihla which means “the journey” in Arabic.
Unity Through Sport
Being the first international major football tournament in recent years, Malaysians once again can gather and enjoy the electrifying energy that comes with the World Cup. adidas and Al-Ikhsan’s joint commitment to keeping their consumers at the centre of what they do is clearly illustrated by the distinct elements of the adidas Official Match Ball roadshow. Each area adds to a genuine, holistic experience for attendees to explore where football has been as well as introduce them to where it will go, unifying players and fans through the power of the sport.
The Most Sustainable Ball Yet
Al-Rihla is the first World Cup official match ball to be made exclusively with water-based inks and glues. The look of the ball itself captures the culture and flag of Qatar in a bold and vibrant, quad-coloured design. The first product to carry the new adidas performance logo, it is designed to support peak game speed, and able to travel faster in flight than any ball in the tournament’s history. Attendees will begin their journey with this very history in the form of the Match Ball Archive, which showcases past key moments of glory with each adidas Official Match Ball (1970 – 2018).
The adidas Official Match Ball Roadshow
Upon emerging from the Match Ball Archive, attendees will discover the adidas Official Match Ball Roadshow, crafted around the rich history that stretches back over half a century and encapsulates 14 consecutive match balls. Then step into a retail area replete with the full range of adidas football products, including the 2022 jerseys.
Honouring and recognising cultural references to the respective countries’ footballing histories, fans of the game can purchase kits from the various federations throughout the roadshow (Germany, Argentina, Spain, Japan, Mexico, Colombia and Sweden). Produced using 100% recycled polyester with upgraded HEAT.DRY technology, this collection of jerseys is not only more sustainable, but the best-performing jerseys the brand has ever had.
Shoe trialling will also be hosted on the ground along with football-centric game stations. Besides that, lucky attendees may participate in once-in-a-lifetime moments such as exclusive meet and greet with local Malaysian footballers and adidas creators on select days of the event. The adidas Official Match Ball Roadshow will host a social media contest on the ground as well. Winning participants stand a chance to win various prizes including FIFA23 Ultimate Edition Codes and even an Al Rihla match ball autographed by David Beckham. Those interested can find out more on adidas’ official Instagram page.
Collaborating with the #1 Football Specialist in Malaysia
The adidas Official Match Ball Roadshow is hosted in collaboration with the #1 Football Specialist in Malaysia; Al-Ikhsan Sports. To better serve local sports lovers, Al-Ikhsan Sports has 167 existing outlets across the Peninsular with plans to grow by an additional 100 outlets across the Peninsular and East Malaysia over the next three years. adidas will continue to play a major role across the country with them.
Al-Ikhsan Sports is also easily accessed digitally through their official website, WhatsApp channel and other e-commerce marketplaces such as Shopee.
In line with their commitment to making sports accessible for all, after the initial ten days of the roadshow, Al-Ikhsan will guide the Official Match Ball Roadshow across Peninsular Malaysia over the course of the next few weeks:
The FIFA World Cup will commence this Sunday the 20th of November 2022, with the host country Qatar facing Ecuador in the spectacular Al Bayt stadium. The final match will take place on the 18th of December 2022 at the iconic Lusail stadium which has the capacity of hosting 80,000 fans.
