adidas unveils Uniforia official match ball for UEFA EURO 2020

adidas has revealed the official match ball for UEFA EURO 2020. Named after both the unity and the euphoria that top-level national-team competition can bring, the Uniforia ball is designed to celebrate the inclusiveness that next year's tournament will inspire throughout the continent.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the UEFA EURO, next summer's finals will be played in 12 different European countries and the tournament's fresh format is the inspiration for the official match ball.

Uniforia's design encompasses the notion of crossing bridges, the blurring of boundaries, and the diversity that will accompany the tournament, through a unique mixture of art and football. These elements were the starting point for the design process, which began in 2018.

"When designing an official match ball, we always look to reflect culture; what is the spirit of the street that we can proudly showcase in the stadium," said Anika Marie Kennaugh, product designer at adidas.

"What we saw in our cities – all our key cities – is the need to come together and unite for change. As one of the major sporting events in the world, UEFA EURO 2020 is a great opportunity to proudly showcase the power of unity and to celebrate sport as a connector of people, ideas and creativity."

Uniforia's design features bold, black brush-stroke style lines running across the ball, symbolising the blurring of boundaries and crossing of borders as reflective of the competition's new transcontinental format. These broad strokes are interjected with flashes of bright, light colours throughout, representing the tournament's diversity and bringing different cultures together.

"In this ground-breaking tournament, adidas will celebrate football – and sport – as something that can bring the world together," said Florian Alt, vice-president of brand marketing at adidas.

"Football is for everyone, regardless of who you are, where you come from or what surface you play on – it unites us all when we play. With Uniforia, while it is just a symbol, it is a symbol we all can – and should – unite behind."

UEFA EURO 2020 will kick off in Rome on 12 June, and will come to its conclusion a month later with the final at Wembley Stadium in London.

Matches will take place in 12 host cities around Europe: Amsterdam, Baku, Bilbao, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Glasgow, London, Munich, Rome and St Petersburg.

(this article originally appeared on UEFA.com)