MetroStars · Attacker · #19 · Australia · 22 yrs
One of the most tournament-defining elements of the World Cup can come from red and yellow cards. This in-game discipline can have a profound impact on a team’s ability to make a deep run in the cup, especially if a star player is involved. There have been a lot of tweaks to how card enforcement […]
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA and Adidas have unveiled the Trionda as the tournament’s official match ball. Unlike previous editions of the tournament, this ball is packed with state-of-the-art technology and features a design that represents the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the Adidas Trionda has been selected as the tournament’s official match ball. It features a design that represents the three host nations: United States, Canada, and Mexico. In addition, the Trionda incorporates the latest FIFA technology, meaning its value depends on the different editions available. Due to its collectible value, the Adidas Trionda ranges from $25 to $170, depending on the different versions. The most affordable option is the Club Version, designed for casual games and unofficial matches. Adidas also offers the League Version for $45, which is designed for training sessions and recreational play. However, the 2026 World Cup has two other editions of much higher quality. Seeking higher quality, the Adidas Trionda comes in the Competition Version for $65, featuring premium materials and a thermally bonded panel designed for professional matches. However, Adidas also offers its most advanced edition: The Pro Version, priced at $170. This edition will be used at the 2026 World Cup, as it features premium materials and cutting-edge technology such as the “connected-ball” sensor used for VAR. Unlike previous World Cup editions, Adidas has decided to offer a collectible pack featuring 15 mini balls from different editions of the tournament for $250. While these versions do not include any technology like the Pro Version, they provide the opportunity to collect previous editions that were not possible to obtain a few years ago. A detailed view of adidas TRIONDA FIFA World Cup match balls. Adidas Trionda sets a new standard in World Cup technology Adidas has been a long-term partner of FIFA, serving as the standard for every World Cup. However, the Adidas Trionda features only four panels, compared to the 20 panels used in the Al Rihla Pro 2022 edition. Far from being the only revolution, Adidas has also decided to reposition the sensor, moving it from the center to the side. With fewer panels and a relocated sensor, the Adidas Trionda is designed to be a much more controlled ball and better suited to players’ needs. In addition, the sensor batteries last more than six hours and can be charged wirelessly. Alongside this, the sensors provide 3D spatial acceleration, spin velocity, and directional deflection in real time, giving VAR more detailed information to make decisions. Where can you buy the 2026 World Cup ball? If you want to buy the Adidas Trionda, the official ball of the 2026 World Cup, the safest places to purchase it are the Adidas official store, the FIFA official shop, and sports retailers. While it can be found on numerous websites, these are the only places that guarantee the authenticity of the product. Being the direct manufacturers of the Trionda, the Adidas official store is the most common place to purchase the ball, as it offers much greater availability across all versions, including the Pro edition reserved for professional athletes. As a direct alternative, the FIFA Official Store also has all four editions of the Trionda available, maintaining the same pricing as Adidas. However, they often have limited availability of certain editions, something that is less common with the previous option. As a final alternative, the Adidas Trionda can be purchased through authorized sports retailers. However, these vary depending on the country, region, and city. Therefore, the availability of some editions of the ball may be limited. Nevertheless, they can be a good option if you find immediate availability.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to begin in just a few days, tickets are still available for select matches. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will officially kick off on Thursday, June 11, with the opening ceremony at Estadio Azteca, followed by the Group A match between Mexico and South Africa at the same venue. Despite the tournament’s imminent start, there are still ways for fans to secure tickets to matches. The World Cup ticket sales process began in September 2025 and has gone through several phases since then. During those stages, fans from around the world were able to reserve seats for the matches they wanted to attend, resulting in sellouts for many games. The presale phases officially ended on January 13, 2026. However, tickets are still available for certain matches. The only way to purchase them is through FIFA‘s official platform, the only legally authorized method for obtaining World Cup tickets. How to buy tickets for the 2026 World Cup Through FIFA’s official website, fans can access the platform used to purchase World Cup tickets. With the presale phases now complete, the only remaining option is the Last-Minute Sales Phase, which began on April 1 and will remain open through the end of the tournament on July 19. FIFA President Gianni Infantino holds the FIFA World Cup trophy. “Tickets will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, and purchases will be processed as real-time transactions, subject to availability,” FIFA explains on its official website. “All successfully purchased tickets will be confirmed immediately to the ticket purchasers.” This allows fans to find available seats for matches that have not yet sold out—typically those not involving the tournament’s top contenders. It also provides access to tickets for matches that were previously sold out but have become available because their owners are willing to resell or exchange them. The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest in history The 2026 World Cup will be the largest edition of the tournament since the competition was first held in 1930. The expanded 48-team format and the addition of a new round—the Round of 32—will increase the number of matches from 64, as was the case at Qatar 2022, to 104. Combined with the fact that the tournament will be hosted across three countries for the first time, the expanded format will allow more fans to attend matches in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. On the other hand, ticket prices have also risen significantly for this edition, with some reaching as much as seven times the cost of comparable seats at Qatar 2022.
Bosnia-Herzegovina are playing in just their second World Cup this summer, with Edin Dzeko the man tasked with leading their young team. The post Bosnia veteran Dzeko relishing responsibility of World Cup captaincy appeared first on SoccerNews.
Joe Dickerson is one of North America’s best referees, but he’ll be off the field in a high-pressure position when the World Cup begins• Predict the winner | Daily podcast | Download our appJoe Dickerson never set out to be a referee. As a player, he was told that reffing would be to make money on the side, learn responsibility, and – more pertinent to his team – learn the sport and begin to understand it on a granular level.Those early assignments in the San Jose area have blossomed into a career that saw Dickerson honored as US Soccer’s male referee of the year in 2025. All of it has been driven by his ability to drill into details – something he’ll be doing a lot of as a VAR official in the replay booth for this summer’s World Cup. Continue reading...
Was going to be first Somalian to officiate at a World Cup‘He deserves the support of the football community’A Somali referee, who was set to become the first person from his country to officiate at a World Cup, has been denied access to the US and will not work at the tournament.Fifa confirmed that Omar Artan “will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026” in a statement issued to media on Monday. The governing body passed responsibility for the situation to the US government, saying that they were “informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present”. Continue reading...
