WhatsApp has replaced its standard football emoji with the Trionda, the official match ball of FIFA World Cup 2026, as part of a partnership with Adidas that will last for the entirety of the tournament. The update went live on Monday, June 8, meaning every football emoji sent on the messaging platform now displays the distinctive Trionda design rather than the generic black-and-white ball fans have been used to.
The partnership is the first of its kind between WhatsApp and a FIFA World Cup official match ball manufacturer, and arrives as the platform prepares for what it expects to be its busiest football period ever. WhatsApp Head of Product Alice Newton-Rex noted that during the 2022 World Cup final, the platform reached over 25 million messages per second, a figure the company expects to be surpassed this summer across the tournament jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Beyond the emoji swap, WhatsApp has also introduced new football-themed calling effects for group video calls and a dedicated football sticker pack for the duration of the tournament.
Adidas and the Trionda
Sam Handy, General Manager Football at Adidas, said the company has the long-standing privilege of creating the one product at the centre of every game, goal, and moment during the tournament, and described the WhatsApp partnership as a way for millions of fans to interact with the official match ball in a fun, authentic, and entirely new way. Football conversations on messaging platforms are expected to reach unprecedented levels during the six-week tournament, with WhatsApp group chats serving as the primary venue for fan debate, prediction, and celebration across the world.
Adidas has simultaneously launched home and away jerseys for 14 national teams alongside the World Cup, complemented by a special boot range called the Road to Glory pack, which includes the F50 Hyperfast Evo, described as the brand’s lightest football boot, designed specifically for its athletes competing at the tournament.
The Trionda emoji update will remain active on WhatsApp for the full duration of FIFA World Cup 2026, covering all 104 matches across venues in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
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