With attention briefly switching to the summer, Adidas has unveiled OCEAUNZ, the official match ball of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023. The design takes visual inspiration from nature, paying homage to the vast Australasian landscape.
Barely feels like the dust has settled on England’s historic and heroic Euro win last summer, and yet we’re already on the cusp of the next major international tournament, with the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women’s World Cup set to kick off on 20 July of this year. With that date firmly in mind and setting the hype train into motion, adidas has revealed OCEAUNZ, the official match ball for the tournament.
OCEAUNZ is the ninth successive football that adidas has produced for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Set on a white pearlescent background, OCEAUNZ’s design features a decoration of blues and greens, inspired by the unique Australasian landscape, with visuals nodding to the vast mountains of New Zealand and Australia’s connection with the Indian Ocean.
The cultural markings and the initials of both host nations celebrate the coming together of Australia and New Zealand – as they prepare to host this showpiece tournament. The Australian patterns have been created by renowned local artist, Chern’ee Sutton, while the markings representing New Zealand were designed by Kiwi artist, Fiona Collis.
Like the Al Rihla, Official Match Ball of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, OCEAUNZ features connected ball technology, providing precise ball data, which will be made available to Video Match Officials in real-time. Combined with player position data and by applying artificial intelligence, the innovative connected ball technology contributes to FIFA’s semi-automated offside technology and offers Video Assistant Referees instantaneous information to help optimise decision-making.
Franziska Loeffelmann, Design Director Football Graphics at adidas: “With record viewing figures for the Women’s Euros tournament last year, the upcoming World Cup is set to be a massive moment for the game that we love. We’re turning up with a match ball that we’re incredibly proud of - featuring our innovative technology and with a design that represents the natural beauty of the landscape in which it will be played.
The game is always evolving, and the design of the OCEAUNZ is built to help players cope with the pace and demands of the modern game. We’re hugely excited for the FIFA Women’s World Cup and to see the women’s game lifted to even further heights, in two fantastic host nations.”
The adidas OCEAUNZ will be available at prodirectsport.com/soccer in the near future.
