With the 2026 World Cup moving into its knockout climax, Adidas has taken the wraps off the Trionda Final, a special-edition match ball that will be used for the semi-finals, third-place play-off and the final itself. The unveiling, confirmed by FIFA on Monday, marks a now-familiar ritual in the tournament’s commercial calendar, but this year’s version departs from the simple colour swaps of previous cycles. For the first time, the German manufacturer has created an entirely new visual identity for the decisive phase, replacing the green, red and blue palette that honoured the three co-hosts with a black base and a premium gold finish that directly references the World Cup trophy.

The ball retains the same four-panel, thermally bonded construction and the same aerodynamic profile as the Trionda used since the opening match. Inside, the Connected Ball technology—an inertial measurement unit that transmits data 500 times per second—remains in place to assist the video assistant referee with offside and touch decisions. The system already proved decisive in the tournament, most notably when it detected a microscopic deflection off a Croatian player’s hair, leading to a disallowed goal in stoppage time against Portugal. The design also embeds the names of the four cities hosting the final matches—Dallas, Atlanta, Miami and New York/New Jersey—prominently on the main panels, while the other twelve host cities appear in triangular graphic elements across the surface.

The ball’s launch arrives as the quarter-final line-up takes shape. France face Morocco, Norway meet England, and an Iberian derby pits Portugal against Spain. The United States, still in contention, play Belgium, while Argentina take on Egypt and Switzerland meet Colombia. The final is scheduled for 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, and the new ball will go on sale immediately through Adidas’s digital channels, a move that capitalises on the peak global audience of the tournament’s final week.

Away from the pitch, the tournament’s closing act is converging with a high-stakes coaching drama. European media report that German FA officials, including vice-president Hans-Joachim Watzke, are travelling to New York this week for talks with Jürgen Klopp, the former Liverpool manager currently under contract as Red Bull’s global head of football. Klopp, who is working as a television pundit during the World Cup, is the leading candidate to replace Julian Nagelsmann as Germany’s head coach. The negotiations, which may involve Red Bull releasing Klopp without a transfer fee in exchange for his continued ambassadorial role, are expected to conclude before the final. The parallel narratives—a golden ball for the champions and a golden opportunity for a celebrated coach—underscore the concentrated drama of a World Cup’s final days.