Astronauts on the International Space Station conducted an experiment with the official match ball of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the adidas Trionda. The ISS crew has replicated a 2019 study that examined how a ball's internal mass distribution affects its motion, stability, and spin in microgravity, NASA reports.

The results of the experiment provided a better understanding of how embedded technologies—in particular, sensors in official match balls—affect the ball's performance during play. Trionda is equipped with a 500Hz sensor that transmits ball movement data in real time to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.

This isn't NASA's first such experiment with football: back in 2014, the agency's engineers tested the Brazuca ball in a wind tunnel, studying the effect of "spin with an unpredictable trajectory." Scientists note that studies of stability and mass distribution have implications far beyond football—they are applicable to studying the motion of satellites, spacecraft, and aircraft.

The Trionda ball takes its name from the Spanish phrase meaning "three waves" in honor of the first-ever World Cup hosted by three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Its design uses the red, green and blue colours of the host countries, as well as their national symbols – the maple leaf, eagle and star.