adidas has unveiled the brazuca Final Rio Official Match Ball, the official match ball for the Final of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. The ball will be an integral part of the fixture on 13 July, when two teams will do battle for a place in history.
The design of brazuca Final Rio has been inspired by the green and gold on the FIFA World Cup Trophy and is a variation of the previously released adidas brazuca Official Match Ball, which was launched back in December last year.
At the time of the brazuca launch in December, adidas delivered brazucas to all Participating Member Associations competing at Brazil 2014 in order for all teams to have sufficient time to practise with the new balls both in training and competitive matches. Since then, the ball has also played a starring role in competitions such as the FIFA Club World Cup, Copa del Rey, MLS, DFB-Pokal as well as numerous international friendlies.
Prior to the official launch, brazuca and brazuca Final Rio went through a thorough testing process over a two-and-a-half-year period, involving more than 600 of the world’s top players and 30 teams in ten countries across three continents, making it the most tested ball ever by adidas and ensuring that it is suited to all conditions.
Clubs involved in testing included AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Fluminense and Palmeiras. Players involved in the process included global football stars Leonel Messi, Iker Casillas, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Zinedine Zidane.
The technology incorporated into the bladder and carcass of brazuca and brazuca Final Rio is identical to the Tango 12 (UEFA Euro 2012), Cafusa (FIFA Confederations Cup 2013) and the ever-popular UEFA Champions League Official Match Ball.
However, a new structural innovation with a unique symmetry of six identical panels alongside a different surface structure will provide improved grip, touch, stability and aerodynamics on the pitch. brazuca has been thoroughly tested to meet and exceed all FIFA metrics for an official match ball, ensuring top performance for every condition.