adidas & WhatsApp Turn Football Emoji into Trionda

Ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, adidas and WhatsApp have unveiled a unique collaboration that blends football, technology and culture by transforming the world’s most-used football emoji into Trionda, the tournament’s Official Match Ball.

Available from today and throughout the FIFA World Cup 2026™, every time users send the football emoji on WhatsApp, it will automatically appear as Trionda, giving billions of football fans a fun new way to celebrate, predict and debate the biggest moments of the tournament in their chats.

The initiative places adidas at the heart of football conversations, ensuring the Official Match Ball becomes part of every goal celebration, team discussion and match prediction shared on WhatsApp during the competition.

Sam Handy, General Manager Football at adidas, said the partnership extends the excitement of the world’s biggest football tournament beyond the pitch.

“We have the long-standing privilege of creating the one product that will be at the centre of every game, goal and moment during the tournament – the Trionda. With football conversations expected to reach unprecedented levels during FIFA World Cup 2026™, we are thrilled to partner with WhatsApp to bring Trionda into every conversation, celebration, prediction and debate on the platform. The FIFA World Cup™ is the biggest stage in sport, and this partnership allows millions of fans to interact with the Official Match Ball in a fun, authentic and completely new way.”

WhatsApp also expects football conversations to reach record-breaking levels during the tournament.

Alice Newton-Rex, Head of Product at WhatsApp, highlighted the platform’s role in connecting fans during major sporting events.

“Football fans turn to their WhatsApp group chats for the biggest moments. Four years ago, WhatsApp reached over 25 million messages per second during the final. We’re expecting even bigger moments this summer, and our partnership with adidas means fans will see Trionda – the Official Match Ball right in their conversations.”

The name Trionda combines “Tri,” representing the tournament’s three host nations—Canada, Mexico and the United States—with “Onda,” meaning waves. The ball features an innovative four-panel construction designed for elite performance while showcasing a flowing design inspired by waves. Each panel incorporates the national colours of red, blue and green, forming a triangle at the centre to symbolise the unity of the three host countries.

Beyond the Official Match Ball, adidas has also introduced home and away jerseys for 14 participating national teams, alongside its new ‘Road to Glory’ football boot collection featuring the ultra-light F50 Hyperfast Evo. Fans can also explore an expanded lifestyle range that includes Bring Back jerseys, adidas Originals apparel and footwear, collaborations with Thrasher Magazine and KITH, as well as an official pet collection.

The brand has also launched its ‘Backyard Legends’ campaign, celebrating the joy of football through free play with some of the biggest names in sport, music and culture.

Fans can experience the new Trionda emoji directly within WhatsApp and follow the platform’s official channel, now home to over 230 million followers, for exclusive football content throughout the FIFA World Cup 2026™.

The Trionda Official Match Ball is available from adidas retail stores, selected retailers and online at adidas.co.za.