The Pakistan-made FIFA 2026 football has gone beyond the playing field and reached space, where it was tested by astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Scientists from NASA conducted a special experiment inside the station’s Cupola module to observe how the football behaves in a zero-gravity environment. The ball was seen floating freely inside the module as astronauts studied its motion.
The experiment used the Adidas-designed Trionda football, which is part of preparations and research linked to the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The main goal of the study was to understand how balance, weight, and movement affect a football when normal gravity is not present. Researchers wanted to see how changes in balance influence the ball’s trajectory and motion during play-like conditions.
NASA said this type of experiment had also been carried out in 2019, and the latest test once again showed how even small differences in balance can significantly change the way a football moves in microgravity.