UPSC HACKERS

1986 – Azteca: Mexico hosted the 1986 World cup with the amazing ‘Azteca’ as the official match ball. It was the first ball that was made of fully synthetic material. Triad was used in the design of the ball. Azteca ball was quite an elegant ball with revolutionary design but even though it was still composed of 32 handsewn panels. 1990 – Etrusco: Italy witnessed the first WC match ball with an internal layer of black polyurethane foam which made it light. The name and design were a tribute to Italy’s history and the fine art of the Etruscans. 1994 – Questra: The official match ball for the 1994 FIFA world cup USA, Questra, was enveloped in a layer of polystyrene foam. It made it more waterproof and allowed the ball greater acceleration when kicked. The ball was softer to the touch and improved ball control with higher velocity allowed players to pace up the game. The ball’s design represents space technology, high-velocity rockets and America’s “quest for the stars.” 1998 – Tricolore: A combination of French red-white-blue tri-colour was seen in the 1998 Wc hosted by France. The ball started a new era as it was colorful and left behind the old tradition of black and white patterns. The TRICOLORE used under glass print technology with a thin layer of syntactic foam. 2002 – Fevernova: The match ball for the FIFA World Cup Korea Japan, 2002 was among the most iconic balls of all time. Adidas created a new ball made up of thicker inner layers to increase the accuracy of the ball in flight. Fevernova included a refined syntactic foam layer that allowed for a more precise and predictable flight path. Asian culture inspired the revolutionary colorful look. 2006 – Teamgeist: An epic final between France and Italy was the highlight of that WC, the official ball for the 2006 Germany WC was ‘Teamgeist’. With the name “Teamgeist” the creators of the ball wanted to remind us that one of the most important components of success in the World Cup is “team spirit”. Translated from the German word team means “command” and geist – “spirit”. The ball was made up of 14 external panels. The main aim behind 14 panels was to improve the accuracy of stroke and improve ball control. 2022 – Al Rihla: Qatar is all set to host the 2022 FIFA world cup with ‘Al Rihla’ as the official match ball for the tournament. The ball will be the 14th ball for the World cup by Adidas – the official World Cup match-ball provider since 1970. The firm has said that the ball is the quickest ever ‘in flight’ ball in the history of the World Cup, and offers the highest level of accuracy and reliability. The ball is made using only water-based inks and glues, it is the most environmentally-friendly World Cup ball to date