{"id":2215,"date":"2018-06-26T10:58:17","date_gmt":"2018-06-26T15:58:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=2215"},"modified":"2018-06-26T10:58:17","modified_gmt":"2018-06-26T15:58:17","slug":"new-ball-on-the-way-for-world-cup-knockout-rounds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=2215","title":{"rendered":"New Ball on the Way For World Cup Knockout Rounds"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"FIFA has announced that a new match ball will be used for the knockout stage of the 2018 World Cup.<\/p>\n

The Telstar Mechta will replace the Telstar 18, the Adidas ball which has been used throughout the group stage in Russia.<\/p>\n

Mechta translates as \u201cdream\u201d in Russian and the ball comes with a new vivid red design, said to be inspired by the colors of the host nation as well as \u201cthe rising heat of knockout stage football\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Telstar 18 was a huge step forward technically when it came to official match balls,\u201d Dean Lokes, VP Product from Adidas, said on www.fifa.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the Telstar Mechta we have taken that same innovative design and re-imagined it, creating a ball that perfectly suits the pressures and opportunities of the FIFA World Cup knockout stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Telstar Mechta\u2019s brand-new panel design features a metallic print execution and texture graphic effect and, like the Telstar 18, has an embedded near-field communication (NFC) chip.<\/p>\n

The chip enables consumers to interact with the ball using a smartphone.<\/p>\n

Each ball generates a unique identifier upon interaction and unlocks exclusive content and information for the user.<\/p>\n

Jean-Francois Pathy, FIFA\u2019s director of marketing services, said: \u201cThis year, Adidas delivers yet another beautifully designed ball, the Telstar Mechta, putting innovation and performance at the core of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

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