A new match ball will be used for the knockout stage of the World Cup in Russia, Fifa has announced. The Telstar Mechta will replace the Telstar 18, the Adidas ball used throughout the group stage, which “paid homage to the first Adidas World Cup ball” from 1970. The new ball comes with a “vivid red design”, said to be inspired by the host nation’s colours and “the rising heat of knockout stage football”.
Mechta translates as “dream” in Russian and the new ball will be used for the first time on Saturday.