WhatsApp has partnered with Adidas to give its football emoji a significant makeover, replacing the traditional black and white hexagonal design with the vibrant Adidas Trionda, the official match ball for the upcoming World Cup. This visual update is now live for users sending the emoji within the WhatsApp application.
The Adidas Trionda ball is designed as a 'celebration of the tournament's inaugural host nations: Canada, Mexico, and the USA,' according to a description from Adidas. The ball features four panels, each incorporating the colors red, blue, and green, representing the host countries.
Sam Handy, General Manager Football at Adidas, stated, 'We have the long-standing privilege of creating the one product that will be at the centre of every game, goal and moment during the tournament – the Trionda.'
This emoji change is exclusive to WhatsApp. Users may see the older football emoji design on other messaging and social media platforms. Alice Newton-Rex, Head of Product at WhatsApp, commented, 'Football fans turn to their WhatsApp group chats for the biggest moments. Four years ago, WhatsApp reached over 25 million messages per second during the final. We're expecting even bigger moments this summer, and our partnership with adidas means fans will see Trionda – the Official Match Ball right in their conversations.'
In addition to the updated emoji, WhatsApp has introduced new calling effects and a football-themed sticker pack designed to enhance user engagement during the tournament. The app also noted the introduction of new football calling effects for group video calls.
This update coincides with a period of heightened interest in the World Cup, with a study from experts at the University of Innsbruck calculating the probabilities for each of the 48 participating teams. According to their findings, Spain is the current favorite to win the tournament, with a 14.5 percent chance. England and France are closely behind with 12.4 percent each, followed by Germany at 11.2 percent. The study noted that the title race this year is particularly tight. Jordan is projected as the least likely to win, while Scotland has a 0.2 percent chance.
Previous research has highlighted the role of emojis and other text-based expressions in conveying meaning and emotion in digital communication, especially in the absence of face-to-face cues. A study from Binghamton University suggested that elements like emoticons, abbreviations, and even unconventional punctuation can add vital layers of meaning to text messages, often indicating spontaneity and sincerity.