adidas has officially launched the 2014 FIFA World Cup match ball.

The ball, named brazuca, was named back in September 2012 following a public vote in Brazil involving 1 million football fans; the name “brazuca” is an informal local term which means “Brazilian”, or to describe the Brazilian way of life. The colors and ribbon design of the ball panels symbolize the traditional multi-colored wish bracelets worn in the country (fita do Senhor do Bonfim da Bahia), in addition to reflecting the vibrancy and fun associated with soccer in Brazil.

brazuca went through a thorough testing process over a two and a half year period involving more than 600 of the world’s top players and 30 teams in 10 countries across three continents, making it the most tested ball ever by adidas and ensuring that it is suited to all conditions. Clubs involved in testing included AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Palmeiras and Fluminese. Players involved in the process included global football stars Leo Messi, Iker Casillas, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Zinedine Zidane. The ball has already been tested in competitive international matches at the FIFA U-20 World Cup with a different print design, and was also used in a friendly match between Sweden and Argentina in February 2013.

Order the adidas brazuca ball today from the World Soccer Talk Shop.