Official balls to be used for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia has been revealed by adidas.The Telstar 18 will be used by the world’s best players as they seek to claim the biggest prize in football next summer.

The new Telstar 18 is a reimagining of the first adidas World Cup matchball, the Telstar, which was used at the 1970 tournament in Mexico.

The name of the original came from its position as the ‘star of television’, decorated with black panels so the pattern would stand out on black and white televisions.

The ball went through extensive testing to ensure it suits the needs of the best players in the world.

Some of the leading national and club sides have been involved in the testing process, including Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Manchester United, Juventus, Real Madrid and Ajax.

The Telstar 18 also features an embedded NFC chip, enabling viewers to interact with the ball using a smartphone.

Upon interaction, each ball generates a unique identifier, unlocking content and information for the user.

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