Argentinian national soccer team striker Lionel Messi poses with the official match ball for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, named Telstar 18, during the unveiling ceremony in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. The Telstar 18 has a retro black-and-white design harking back to the original Adidas Telstar ball used for the 1970 World Cup, and Adidas says that in terms of structure, it's an evolution of the ball used for the last World Cup in 2014. (Oleg Shalmer)
The Associated Press
MOSCOW (AP) - Lionel Messi has presented the ball for next year's World Cup in Russia.
The Telstar 18 has a retro black-and-white design harking back to the original Adidas Telstar ball used for the 1970 World Cup.
Adidas says that in terms of structure, it's an evolution of the ball used for the last World Cup in 2014.
Chiming with Russia's history as a pioneer of space flight, the Telstar name originally came from a type of early satellite. However those came from Western nations, and not the then Soviet Union.
Argentinian national soccer team striker Lionel Messi poses with the official match ball for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, named Telstar 18 , during the unveiling ceremony in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. The Telstar 18 has a retro black-and-white design harking back to the original Adidas Telstar ball used for the 1970 World Cup, and Adidas says that in terms of structure, it's an evolution of the ball used for the last World Cup in 2014. (Oleg Shalmer)
The Associated Press
Argentinian national soccer team striker Lionel Messi shows the official match ball for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, named Telstar 18 , during the unveiling ceremony in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. The Telstar 18 has a retro black-and-white design harking back to the original Adidas Telstar ball used for the 1970 World Cup and Adidas says that in terms of structure, it's an evolution of the ball used for the last World Cup in 2014. (Oleg Shalmer)
The Associated Press