Adidas Unveils Match Ball for 2023 Women’s World Cup

The world’s best female football players will have a new ball to kick around later this year when the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand.

Adidas unveiled its new Oceaunz ball on Tuesday, January 24 — a little less than six months before the tournament begins. Covering its white pearlescent base is a pattern of blue and green shapes “inspired by the unique Australasian landscape, with visuals nodding to the vast mountains of New Zealand and Australia’s connection with the Indian Ocean.

Cultural markings and the initials of the host nations are also found all over the ball. The Australian patterns were created by Aboriginal artist Chern’ee Sutton while those representing New Zealand were created by Māori artist Fiona Collis. These are the same artists who created patterns that are included in the 2023 Women’s World Cup logo.

“Adidas has created an iconic official match ball for the FIFA Women’s World Cup that reflects diversity, inclusivity and togetherness, fitting themes for the first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup to be co-hosted by two different countries from different confederations,” said FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura. “This edition of the tournament will be extremely special and the rich cultures of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, as evoked on OCEAUNZ, are certain to take the experience of visiting fans and teams #BeyondGreatness.”

“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,” added Franziska Loeffelmann, design director football graphics at Adidas. “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.”

Like the Al Rihla and Al Hilm models used at the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar, the Oceaunz ball features connected ball technology, which provides precise ball data to match officials in real time that helps with semi-automated offside technology and video assistant referee decisions.

Oceaunz also features CTR-CORE, “a groundbreaking core within the ball that is designed to improve accuracy and consistency, supporting fast, precise play with maximum shape and air retention.” It also uses Adidas’s Speedshell polyurethane skin, which employs micro and textures and a 20-panel construction to optimize aero dynamics.

Oceaunz balls will retail for €150 through Adidas retail stores, Adidas.com and select retail partners. One percent of net sales will be donated to Common Goal’s Global Goal 5 Accelerator, “a collective project to increase female participation, representation and leadership in the grassroots game.”

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off on July 20 when New Zealand takes on Norway in the opening match at Eden Park in Auckland. The final will be played a month later, on August 20, at Stadium Australia in Sydney.