Lionel Messi presents FIFA 2018 World Cup ball

CAIRO – 10 November 2017: Lionel Messi was the center of attention in the global presentation of the new ball that has been made by 'Adidas' for the World Cup in Russia 2018.

Among hundreds of representatives of the media, Barcelona`s golden boy walked with the ball in his hand and with the new shirt of the Argentinean national team and taught, for the first time, one of the best kept secrets of the new World Cup.

The ball, 'Telstar 18' is a mix of design, originality and modernity. The original Telstar featured 32 separate pentagonal panels, 12 of which were black to make it more visible in black and white television broadcasts.

Messi said he had tested the ball in the moments before the presentation. “I was lucky enough to get to know this ball a bit earlier and I managed to have a try with it," Messi stated according to FIFA official website. "I like all of it: the new design, the colors, everything.”

Telstar 18 is a reissue of the famous original Telstar ball used in the World Cups of Mexico 1970 and Germany 1974.

“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,” said Roland Rommler, Category Director of Football Hardware at Adidas.