UEFA: a special Champions League match ball to celebrate 25 years of partnership with adidas

adidas has unveiled a special match ball to celebrate 25 years of partnership with UEFA for the Champions League, on 12/01/2026. This ball will be used in the final two matchdays of the 2025-26 league phase of the competition (scheduled for 20-21/01 and 28/01/2026).

This match ball recreates the design of the "Finale 1" model used in 2000-01, the first season of UEFA's partnership with adidas for the Champions League, "while introducing a contemporary colour-shifting effect that subtly transitions from black to purple depending on the viewing angle," said UEFA. A logo featuring the number 25 also appears on the ball, which was unveiled via a series of photos featuring players who left their mark on the competition (Zidane, Messi, Toni Kroos, Mohamed Salah, Jude Bellingham, Ousmane Dembélé and Lamine Yamal).

adidas has been the official match ball supplier for the Champions League since the 2000-01 season, as part of an agreement extended for the 2024-2027 cycle on 16/09/2024. The Europa League and Conference League match balls are supplied by Kipsta (Decathlon) over the same…