Adidas unveil 2018 World Cup ball for Russia as they bring back iconic Telstar design to celebrate its 50th birthday
The ball was first introduced in the 1968 European Championships in Italy and was last seen at the 1974 World Cup in West Germany
ADIDAS have brought back the iconic Telstar design as they unveil the 2018 World Cup ball for Russia.
Last seen at the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, the Telstar 18 has been kitted with a built-in NFC chip to allow fans to interact with ball using a smartphone.
The ball was first introduced back in 1968 in the European Championships in Italy, and the Telstar will celebrate its 50th birthday next summer.
It was adidas' first-ever World Cup ball, and the design has been lauded by Barcelona ace Lionel Messi who was one of a lucky few to test it.
He said: "I was lucky enough to get to know this ball a bit earlier and I managed to have a try with it.
"I like all of it: the new design, the colours, everything."
The Telstar was the first ball to introduce black panels, and became iconic at the 1970 World Cup as Brazil clinched their third title.
It's name came from its status as the "star of television," and was made to stand out on black-and-white televisions.
Roland Rommler, Category Director of Football Hardware at adidas has revealed designing the ball was an exciting challenge.
He said: "The original Telstar is one of the most iconic footballs of all time and one which changed football design forever, so developing the Telstar 18 while staying true to the original model was a really exciting challenge for us.
"The new panel structure and inclusion of an NFC chip has taken football innovation and design to a new level and offers both consumers and players a completely new experience."
The World Cup will start on Thursday, June 14 and will finish on Sunday, July 15 2018.
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