Pic: Here’s the ball that Messi, Ronaldo and the rest will be playing with at the World Cup

The folks at adidas have also given it a cool name; the Brazuca

Here’s the ball that will almost certainly be accused this summer of being too light, doing things in the air and being unfair to goalkeepers. It’s a tradition at this stage. Called the Brazuca, this is the official ball for World Cup 2014, unveiled in Brazil last night. Manufactured by adidas, the ball has six panels and the imagery on it is meant to look like Brazilian wish braclets. The name, which was chosen by a public poll in Brazil, refers to something intrinsically Brazilian and is also used after a particularly neat bit of on-pitch skill, something we should see a lot of this summer. However, if you want one for your own five-a-side, it’s not a cheap ball, with the ball going on sale today in the US for $160 (€115), though every child in Brazil born on December 3 will get one, a nod to the tradition of every Brazilian child being born with a ball at their feet. Still, surely it will be more popular than the much-maligned 2010 ball, the infamous Jubilani, which was slammed by loads of players. Spain managed to do okay with it all the same…