FIFA World Cup
Mbappé has doubts about the new World Cup ball during training
France's captain appeared to question the new match ball after testing it during training … Show More
France's captain appeared to question the new match ball after testing it during training
It wasn't long ago that Adidas and FIFA revealed the semifinals, the third-place match, and the World Cup final would be played with a new ball. The biggest questions did not come from fans, but from the players, who now have to adjust after spending the entire tournament playing with the original Trionda.
Although it was confirmed that the new ball keeps the exact same four-panel construction, shape, and surface texture as the original Trionda, with the same speed, bounce, and overall feel players have become used to throughout the tournament, a recent training video may suggest Kylian Mbappé is not completely convinced.
Mbappé's reaction sparks questions
During France's training session ahead of the semifinal against Spain, the squad was seen working with the new ball for the first time. Mbappé's facial expressions quickly caught attention, hinting that he may have noticed something different.
The French star let the ball bounce on the grass before inspecting it closely. Shortly afterward, head coach Didier Deschamps walked over to examine it with him. The two carefully checked the ball, exchanged a few thoughts, and Mbappé followed it up with a test strike while Deschamps watched closely.
A debate before the biggest matches
The sequence quickly fueled debate over the possible drawbacks of introducing a new ball at this stage of the tournament. The adjustment period will be the same for all four semifinalists, who have only a limited amount of time to get used to the change before their matches. Still, the reaction has raised questions about whether players believe it was the best footballing decision.
The decision to introduce a new ball was intended to give the tournament's final four teams an exclusive match ball before crowning the world champion. However, the move has already been controversial for excluding host nations Canada and Mexico from the design, and now because it could potentially affect how the remaining matches are played.
