The official ball of this year's FIFA World Cup soccer finals in Qatar has been unveiled. National men's team captain Son Heung-min (left) and Argentine superstar Lionel Messi (right) have been named the official spokesmodels for the ball. (Screen capture from Adidas' official website )
By Lee Kyoung Mi and Kim Hayeon
The official ball for the 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer finals in Qatar has been unveiled, and national men's soccer team captain Son Heung-min, who led Korea to its 10th straight berth in the tournament, will serve as a spokesmodel for the ball.
Soccer's world governing body FIFA on March 30 released the features and design of Al-Rihla, the official ball made by Adidas, on the federation's website.
FIFA said Al Rihla, which means "the journey" in Arabic, sports a design inspired by Qatar's traditional culture and architecture. Flying faster and more accurately than any previously used in a World Cup, the ball is also FIFA's first to be made exclusively with adhesives and water-based ink that are both eco-friendly to prioritize sustainability.
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi is the ball's other spokesmodel along with Son.
The Qatar World Cup begins on Nov. 21.
km137426@korea.kr
