Graphic shows World Cup match play balls since 1970, when every World Cup football has been made by Adidas.
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Telstar 18 World Cup match ball

By Phil Bainbridge

June 14, 2018 - July 15, 2018 - FIFA have unveiled the Adidas Telstar 2018, the official match ball for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The new ball is a modern interpretation of iconic Telstar ball, first used in 1970, but incorporates a new 6-panel construction and 3D textured surface.

Adidas made the first official FIFA World Cup ball for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, the first World Cup to be broadcast live on television. The contrasting planels were designed to make the ball more visible on the black and white televisions of that day.The ball was named Telstar after the communication satellites that relayed television pictures, the first Telstar having been launched in 1962.

The Telstar 2018 World Cup ball includes an embedded NFC chip. NFC stands for Near-Field Communication and it allows communication within about 4 inches which is why such chips are used for Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. In the run up to the World Cup, the chip will enable someone with a 2018 World Cup ball to access challenges with their smartphone and give a personalised and location-aware experience.

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PUBLISHED: 10/11/2017; STORY: Graphic News
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