Despite Not Qualifying for the FIFA Soccer World Cup Here’s How 194th Ranked Pakistan Is Surprisingly Still Involved in Qatar

FIFA World Cup kicked off in Qatar last month. It is approaching its end with six games to go. So far, we have got two semifinalists, Croatia and Argentina, and will know the other two today. Although the Asian nation of Pakistan has never qualified for the World Cup, they are still on the map of FIFA for separate reasons.

FIFA introduces a new soccer ball every World Cup as an official ball. It is not only used for games and training but sold around the world to generate revenues. Adidas, the official ball manufacturer, outsources the work to China. But the increased demand for soccer balls has brought Pakistan into the picture.

‘Al Rihla’, the Qatar FIFA World Cup’s official ball comes from Pakistan

The official ball for the Qatar World Cup is ‘Al Rihla’ which translates to ‘the journey’ in Arabic. The soccer festival is not only about the games, but it brings in opportunities for business and employment. Fans keep purchasing the jerseys of their favorite teams soaring the jersey business. But it’s not only about the jerseys, the official soccer balls are also in demand during the World Cup.

Although Adidas outsources the production to China, there have been instances where to meet the high demands, the company outsourced it to a second manufacturer. The Sialkot-based manufacturer Forward Sports is the second manufacturer of the ball. Sialkot is a city based in the northeastern part of Pakistan and is known for sports equipment manufacturing.

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They manufacture the majority part of balls in Sialkot, which are part of training and placed in official Adidas stores and websites for selling. But is this the first time the balls are manufactured in Sialkot, Pakistan? The answer is No. They have also supplied ‘Telstar’ and ‘Brazuca’ for the 2018 and 2014 editions, respectively. It keeps the nation attached to the FIFA World Cup.

Sialkot is a major producer of soccer balls

Sialkot boasts around a thousand factories where sports equipment is manufactured. About 8% of the city population works in industries. Forward Sports is such a company that is working with Adidas for a long time to manufacture official balls. Local Chambers of commerce said that Sialkot produced 43 million balls until June 2022 this year.

The workers who manufacture the soccer balls are proud that their nation is contributing to the FIFA World Cup. They feel this will help to build the popularity of the game in the country. The demand has kept the industry evolving to incorporate new technologies to improve the quality of the balls.

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Yes, the nation isn’t in the FIFA World Cup, but Pakistan is providing the majority of soccer balls that are used in the World Cup. Let us know your thoughts on Al Rihla. So far, which official World Cup ball is the best in your opinion?