The World Cup official match ball – the “Brazuca” – packs all the know-how and expertise gained in a nearly 30-year partnership between adidas and Bayer MaterialScience. The two companies have been working together in the field of ball development since 1986. From the outset, Bayer’s polyurethane materials have played a key role. It is these products that give the high-tech balls their perfect shape and outstanding properties.
The “Brazuca” reveals its true qualities on the pitch – when precision passes are made or the ball flies true when shot towards the goal. This has been demonstrated not only in the sunshine, but also in very bad weather. More than 600 professional players and 30 teams in ten countries tested the “Brazuca” under all kinds of outdoor conditions. Soccer greats such as Lionel Messi, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Zinedine Zidane have already had the opportunity to test it. The ball has also been used in friendly matches involving the German national team. “This makes it the most tested ball that adidas has ever put on the market,” says Oliver Brüggen, Director of Public Relations at adidas. The results of the laboratory trials also speak for themselves: The “Brazuca” complies with or exceeds all the standards set by the international governing body of soccer.