The Round of 16 is shaping up to decide the eight teams advancing at the 2026 World Cup and teams are learning which ball they might be using one the semifinals and final roll around.
The adidas Trionda is one of the most colorful ball designs in recent World Cup history. Meanwhile, the popular sports manufacturer is unveiling its alternative design for the final games of the tournament.
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Adidas dropped its special-edition Trionda ball for the latter stages of the competition, which has become tradition. Many World Cups have featured different color schemes and designs for the final World Cup matches.
Adidas has unveiled the official match ball for the FIFA World Cup semifinals and Final 😲 (via @adidas) pic.twitter.com/LOhs35b11w
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 6, 2026
Top countries like Argentina, England, France and Spain all remain in the competition with their best players leading the way. However, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe aren’t guaranteed to use the new ball based on their squad’s results.
FIFA World Cup final ball revealed
The Trionda ball used for the semifinals and finals follows a different pattern on the ball versus the original 2026 World Cup ball. Adidas normally only alters the ball’s color scheme for the latter stages of the competition.
However, the unique ball includes a black and gold color scheme throughout a large portion of the design. That’s a stark change from the green, blue and red colors included in the original Trionda, which honor Canada, Mexico and the USA as co-hosts.
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Many soccer suppliers will begin selling the new edition Triondas on July 7 as the World Cup gears up for the final stages of the tournament.
Norway forward Erling Haaland during FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 16 match between Norway and Brazil.
Previous World Cup balls used
The history of World Cup soccer balls shows a stark difference in design, pattern and attention to culture. The 2026 edition is no different. All three host nations are integrated into the ball design, honoring the first World Cup with three hosts.
Previous tournaments have seen severely popular balls in use like the 2010 Jabulani and 2014 Brazuca. Meanwhile, many older ball designs featured traditional black and white patterns, including the Telstar used during the 1970 and 1974 World Cups.
FIFA World Cup Balls History From 1930 to 2026: pic.twitter.com/4Ck4LnsUBz
— Assad (@iassadrajar) July 5, 2026
FIFA and adidas began implementing multiple tournament balls during the 2006 World Cup with the Teamgeist in Germany. Each competition since then features a competition ball for the early stages of play before inserting a finals ball.