SEATTLE - Following a tradition that started in the 2006 World Cup final, another major international tournament will have its own special soccer ball for the final and the knockout stages. According to website Footy Headlines, Puma and CONMEBOL are set to release a special edition of the soccer ball 'Cumbre' that will be used during the Copa América 2024 for that period of the tournament.
The original version of 'Cumbre' was unveiled to the public during the group stage draw for the 48th edition of the CONMEBOL Copa América. According to Puma, the ball represents "the passion of the continent for 'fútbol,' the values and characteristics of the competition as well as the connectivity that the tournament generates between the nations across the Americas."
The name of the soccer ball is inspired by the mountain range that crosses the Americas, while its design is based on the shape of the continent. The 16 lines that comprise the design refer to the total number of countries that will take part in the 2024 Copa América.
But 'Cumbre' will have a different look after the group stage is over. A combination of gold and red accents will highlight the special edition soccer ball during the knockout rounds.
🏆🇺🇸 Puma Cumbre Copa America 2024 Final Ball Revealed: https://t.co/q3V4UmaE8j
— Footy Headlines (@Footy_Headlines) May 9, 2024
The first time a special edition soccer ball was released for a major tournament was during the 2006 World Cup, when German brand Adidas released the Teamgeist Berlin for the final between Italy and France. Four years later, the famous Jabulani at the 2010 South Africa World Cup was replaced by the Jo'bulani for the final between the Netherlands and Spain.
Adidas abandoned its gold designs for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where instead of having a single soccer ball for the final, the adidas Telstar was replaced with the red Teslar Mechta for the entirety of the knockout stage. In Qatar, a variation of the Al Rihla soccer ball was replaced by the adidas Al Hilm which was used for the semifinals and final.
Despite not being officially announced, Puma has already put up the golden 'Cumbre' up for sale in its official website. The official soccer ball of the Copa América 2024 has a cost of $140 and is already sold out.
With less than two months to go before the start of the Copa América 2024, 'Cumbre' will make its debut on June 20 when Argentina faces Canada at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The 'Albiceleste' led by Lionel Messi seeks to win back-to-back titles and break the tie it has with Uruguay (15 titles each) for the most wins in the history of the competition.
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