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New Jersey Notebook: Fifa World Cup match ball ‘Adidas Trionda’ stable but with a twist
Fifa World Cup match balls before the Group F match between Tunisia and Japan and Estadio Monterrey in Mexico on June 20, 2026.
What you need to know:
- Adidas became the official ball supplier for the Fifa World Cup in 1970 with ‘Telstar’ match ball.
- In Qatar, the Fifa Fan Zones were open to one and all. You just showed up, stepped in and mingled.
In New Jersey
A record number of goals have been scored at the World Cup. Could it be because of the match ball?
Adidas became the official ball supplier for the Fifa World Cup in 1970 with ‘Telstar’ match ball. Then the Telstar Durlast was used in 1974 followed by the famous Tango in 1978 and in 1982.
We have also had Azteca (1986 in Mexico), Questra (1994 in USA 1994), Fevernova (2002 in Japan/South Korea), and Jabulani (2010 in South Africa) that would wobble in mid-flight. The Al Rihla (2022 in Qatar) is said to have travelled the fastest in flight.
This year, the red, green and blue coloured Trionda is in use in USA, Mexico and Canada. John Eric Goff, a visiting professor of physics at the University of Puget Sound, says the ball is much more predictable than Jabulani, but a hard-hit long punt may lose a bit of its range.
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You want to enter the Fan Zone? Please get a ticket first
What a contrast between the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar, and the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
In Qatar, the Fifa Fan Zones were open to one and all. You just showed up, stepped in and mingled in the football vibe.
In the USA, Canada, and Mexico, at least speaking of New York and New Jersey, the official Fan Zones are not unrestricted areas of entry. For instance, to attend the Fan Hub, as the Americans are calling it, at New Jersey’s Sports Illustrated Stadium, one has to book a slot online and capacity is limited to 5,000.
First come, first served is the motto. Even accredited journalists must book a ticket to be permitted entry.
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New York is a melting pot of different nationalities
They say New York and New Jersey have diverse populations from more than 130 countries and speaking more than 600 different languages and dialects. It is a real meshing of nationalities and cultures.
Since arriving here over two weeks ago, yours truly has lost count of the number of nationalities he has met. From Turkish, Guyanese, Mexican, and Haitian taxi drivers; Ecuadorian and Brazilian waitresses; Jamaican, Indian and Puerto Rican store managers; Senegalese barbers; American bus drivers; Peruvian hawkers; Nigerian diners; to Kenyan students, I have met people of many nationalities.
Indeed this is turning out to be a global village in its truest form.
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