FIFA unveiled the official match ball design for the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan, on Monday, eliciting enthusiasm as the tournament draws near, according to the international football body press release.
The ball’s design, conceived by the brand Adidas, draws inspiration from the “Masters of Speed” motto and captures the dynamic essence of futsal and Uzbekistan’s rich cultural heritage.
The innovative new ball features five distinct interpretations of the kalampir peppers, a pivotal ingredient in traditional Uzbek cuisine.
Each pepper motif symbolizes “a player in motion, never standing still, just like on the futsal pitch.”
This design is also reflected in the competition’s official emblem, which resembles the FIFA Futsal World Cup trophy with the peppers forming a ball at the top.
The ball will make its debut when the tournament commences in Bukhara and Tashkent on September 14.
The World Cup of Futsal in Uzbekistan will make history as the first FIFA tournament to be held in Central Asia.
The event is scheduled to take place from September 14 to October 6, 2024, across three locations: Bukhara, Tashkent, and Andijan.
The competition will feature Uzbekistan along with several prominent teams, including the defending champions Portugal, the five-time winners Brazil, the two-time champions Spain, the 2016 winners Argentina, and first-time participants Afghanistan, France, New Zealand, and Tajikistan.
The full roster of competitors will also include Angola, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Guatemala, Iran, Kazakhstan, Libya, Morocco, the Netherlands, Panama, Paraguay, Thailand, Ukraine, and Venezuela. They have all advanced through a challenging qualifying phase involving 121 teams.