Qatar Semifinals and Finals Use New Official Golden Ball 'Al Hilm'

Meaning 'dream' in Arabic... Used from the quarterfinals
Gold background with triangular patterns like the World Cup trophy

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) unveiled the new official ball "Al Hilm" to be used from the World Cup semifinals on the 11th. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has unveiled the new official match ball "Al Hilm" to be used from the semifinals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

On the 11th, FIFA announced that starting from the World Cup semifinals, the new official ball Al Hilm will replace the existing official ball Al Rila. Al Hilm means "dream" in Arabic. Unlike Al Rila, which is mainly white, Al Hilm is predominantly gold in color. FIFA explained, "Al Hilm features a gold base similar to the World Cup trophy, with triangular patterns inspired by the Qatar flag." Like Al Rila, Al Hilm is also made eco-friendly using water-based ink and water-based adhesives.

Al Hilm, like Al Rila, is equipped with electronic devices for semi-automated offside detection. The inertial measurement sensor embedded in the center of both Al Rila and Al Hilm can accurately track the ball's speed, direction, angle, and other positional information. This sensor transmits data at a rapid rate of 500 times per second, and the transmitted information is used for semi-automated offside detection technology. The introduction of this semi-automated offside detection technology is a first at this Qatar World Cup.

This sensor played a decisive role in the match between Portugal and Uruguay on the 29th of last month, when a goal that Cristiano Ronaldo claimed as his own in the 54th minute was officially credited as a goal by Fernandes. Adidas stated in a press release the day after the match, "Using the technology embedded in the official ball Al Rila, we were able to prove that Ronaldo did not touch the ball," adding, "The measurement showed no vibration during Ronaldo's heading attempt. Using the sensor inside the ball allows for very precise measurement."

Evolution of the Official Match Ball

Since the 1970 Mexico World Cup with the "Telstar," FIFA has adopted balls from its official sponsor Adidas as the official match balls, and over the years, the official balls have evolved alongside. Adidas's first official ball, the Telstar, was a simple soccer ball with a white base and black patterns designed to stand out on black-and-white TV broadcasts. The 2006 Germany World Cup official ball, "Teamgeist," was the first official ball made entirely without stitching, using only adhesives.

The "Jabulani," used in the 2010 South Africa World Cup, received much criticism from players. Jabulani was made by heat-sealing eight panels and removed dimples and small holes under the pretext of improving accuracy and speed. As a result, the air vortex phenomenon disappeared, making it impossible to perform curve kicks. The 2014 Brazil World Cup ball "Brazuca" was designed to improve performance in rainy conditions, and the 2018 Russia World Cup official ball "Telstar 18" attracted attention with a new panel design that enhanced stability in the air and an embedded computer chip.

The official ball "Al Rila," used up to the quarterfinals in this World Cup, means "travel, journey" in Arabic. It introduced the "Speedshell" technology, which enhances flight stability, speed, and spin. The red and blue colors in Al Rila represent the cultural characteristics of the host country Qatar and the increasingly fast pace of football matches.

Nick Craig, General Manager of Adidas, the official ball manufacturer, said, "Al Hilm will be a light that shows the power of football and sports to unite the world," adding, "We wish good luck to the teams participating in the final stages of the biggest stage football offers?the World Cup."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.