OCEAUNZ

How adidas’ 2023 Official Women’s World Cup ball helps advance gender equity

For the first time, 1% of Official Women’s World Cup net ball sales will be reinvested in the women’s game.  

This move is a continuation of the legacy set by adidas during the 2022 Men’s World Cup when they committed 1% of Al Rihla and Al Hilm, the Official Match Balls of the 2022 Men’s World Cup, to the Global Goal 5 Accelerator.  

The proceeds from OCEAUNZ, the 2023 Women’s World Cup Official Match Ball, will also be invested in the collective project to support grassroots initiatives that increase access to the game for women and girls on and off the pitch. The Global Goal 5 Accelerator aims to help increase leadership, representation, and participation of girls and women in football for good programmes, and ensure that every young girl has a female role model in their community.   

“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,” said 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 Official Match Ball of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 will feature new ‘Connected Ball’ technology, designed to help match officials make faster and more accurate decisions on the biggest stage in the game. OCEAUNZ will be the first Women’s World Cup Official Match Ball to feature this innovation, providing precise ball position data, available to FIFA officials in real time.  

OCEAUNZ will be released on January 25th and made available at adidas retail stores, selected retailers, and online. 

Beyond helping drive gender equality in the game, adidas will continue to advance racial justice and LGBTQ+ inclusion through pledging 1% of net sales from their wider football ball portfolio to the Common Goal movement. 

Over 130,000 individuals across from the Common Goal community have been positively impacted by the partnership since its inception – with adidas supporting the training of young people, coaches and trainers, and other staff, amongst the varying focus areas.