The design is inspired by the Qatari flag, the colour of the FIFA World Cup trophy, and the deserts that surround the city of Doha.
The official match ball from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final will be auctioned off for an estimated one million Qatari riyals, equivalent to £160,000-£200,000, next month.
Qatar 2022’s final match went down in history as of the best finals as the captivating game saw Argentina defeat France 4-2 on penalties following a 3-3 draw.
On 6 and 7 June 6, Graham Budd Auctions will conduct the auction, which will be held both online and at the Northampton auction house. It confirmed that potential purchasers from all over the world are already showing interest in the planned auction.
“This Adidas football is a fascinating and important piece of recent football history alongside what it did for the reputation of players like Messi and Mbappe,” the head of sporting memorabilia at Graham Budd Auctions, David Convery, said.
‘Al Hilm’, which translates to ‘The Dream’ in Arabic, was the game ball that, following a spectacular penalty shootout versus France on 18 December at Lusail Stadium, helped Argentina win its third world championship.
The ball was hailed as one of the best in the tournament’s history, and one lucky winner from abroad won it in an Adidas contest to “Win The Match Ball” following the championship game.
The winner then made the decision to put the ball up for auction at a sports memorabilia auction.
The lucky winner, who chose to remain anonymous, admitted that he could hardly believe his good fortune when he learned that he had won the ball.
“The overseas vendor, who wishes to remain anonymous, had to pinch himself when he received the email from Adidas informing him that he has won the 2022 FIFA World Cup final official match ball,” the auction house said.
The winner said: “I entered the competition without really thinking about it, but when I heard I’d won, I honestly thought it was a scam. I still thought it couldn’t be legit even when the ball arrived. It’s an incredible story to be a part of, and the money it’ll hopefully make will honestly be life-changing.”
The World Cup finals date and other information are written on the match ball.
“The ball is fully authenticated, and we can trace every part of its journey to date. That’s one of the reasons why we feel confident it’ll reach, or even go beyond, its estimated price,” said the head of sporting memorabilia at Graham Budd Auctions.
Over 1,500 lots will be offered at the auction, with a section honouring the famous Pelé featuring trophies, awards, and game-used jerseys.
This also includes Pelé’s yellow Brazil match shirt, which is valued between £100,000 and £150,000 and was worn when he scored Brazil’s final-ever international goal in 1971.
Al Hilm
The ball used in the final game of Qatar 2022 came as a continuation to the journey of the official match ball of the group stages, “Al Rihla”, or The Journey, in Arabic.
Al Hilm featured the same groundbreaking Adidas “Connected Ball” technology as Al Rihla, which had proven invaluable in assisting match officials in making quicker and more accurate decisions during this World Cup.
Al Hilm uses the most recent technological advancements in ball design.
Al Hilm is the first FIFA World Cup semi-finals and final ball made using only water-based inks and glues. The ball was also carefully designed with the environment at its core.
The design is based on a subtle triangular pattern on a textured gold base colour that is inspired by the Qatari flag, the colour of the FIFA World Cup trophy, and the region’s sparkling deserts that surround the city of Doha.
