The anxiety does not stop rising and Lionel Messi was in charge of adding a little more adrenaline to all Argentine fans a few hours before the start of the official draw of the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The star of the combo hosted by Lionel Scaloni showed a striking tattoo and users quickly shot the question: Is it real or fake?
“Everything okay?” , with that phrase, a smiling Flea started an advertising spot for the new ball for the World Cup. In the images that the footballer himself uploaded to his stories, the rosarino alerts the cameraman to record the “tattoo” that was being made. It, located on his right leg, has the word “Vamos” and “2022″, while in the middle Al Rihla was drawn , the football that Adidas designed especially for this tournament.
In parallel, the '30′ of Paris Saint Germain made an Instagram post next to the ball that will be used throughout the tournament that will take place from November 21 to Sunday, December 18 in Arab territory. “Now our path begins”, he wrote along with an emoji of the Argentine flag and a ball.
The filming that the former Barcelona shared is waist-deep, so it does not reveal the mystery in the first measure of whether it is about his leg or not, beyond showing one of the tattoos he made in the past below the new drawing. Beyond that, there are also other technical topics: “It's done like I do tattoos sometimes for TV with markers. It gives the feeling because it doesn't bleed or hurt. I would say it's almost certainly fake,” Fernando Colombo, who has been in charge of Facetatto for more than 20 years, told Infobae.
It is worth noting that this championship could be Lionel's last with the light blue and white. “After the World Cup I'm going to have to rethink a lot of things. I got it right or wrong. Let's hope it's in the best way,” he released last week after beating Venezuela at La Bombonera. However, the national team reaches the World Cup at its best, as it has a long undefeated and comes from being the American champion in Brazil 2021.
The 14th consecutive ball created by the German company for this competition was officially presented last Wednesday and one of its main features is that it will travel faster in the air than any of the other balls from the previous world championships. “Football is playing faster and faster, and as it accelerates, the accuracy and stability of the ball in the air becomes critical. The new design allows it to maintain high speed throughout its trajectory. For the biggest sports scene in the world, we set out to radically innovate and make the impossible possible with the fastest and most accurate World Cup ball ever created,” said Franziska Loeffelmann, director of football print and sportswear design at the company that made the ball.
Its name, Al Rihla, means The Voyage in Arabic and its design is inspired by culture, architecture, iconic boats and the flag of Qatar. In addition, due to its new panel structure and surface texture, they argue that the ball offers the highest level of accuracy and reliability on the pitch.
On the other hand, it is also worth noting that it is the first ball made only with water-based dyes and glues. “We believe that sport belongs to all of us, so we have been committed and active in improving access and equity for our global football community. As part of this commitment, Al Rihla will support local communities as they travel around the world with activities designed to make a lasting impact on grassroots football and at all levels,” said Nick Craggs, general manager of the company.
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