Adidas sends the World Cup match ball soaring over Mexico
The official match ball of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has taken to the skies.
A giant hot air balloon dressed in the full livery of the Adidas Trionda has been spotted drifting over the central Mexican highlands at golden hour, complete with the FIFA Quality Pro seal, the trilingual “Official Match Ball” panel and a “G-OOOL” where an aircraft registration would usually sit.
Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca hosts the tournament opener on 11 June, and the balloon turns the tournament football into a piece of floating outdoor theatre ahead of kick off.
The Trionda itself is built from just four thermally bonded panels, the fewest of any World Cup ball, with red, green and blue graphics nodding to hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States.
“It’s the most visually playful FIFA World Cup ball we’ve ever created,” said Adidas Football general manager Sam Handy.
It sits firmly in giant floating brand stunts territory, and joins a wave of World Cup marketing campaigns landing before the action gets underway.
