Adidas, the sportswear consortium, unveiled in Berlin the ball that will be used for the Semifinals and Final of EURO 2024. This special design features the Olympic Stadium in the German capital, where the new continental champion will be crowned this coming Sunday.

Technically, the ball is the same one used throughout the tournament, which was also tested in the Qatar World Cup and the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. However, this is the first time it will be used in UEFA competitions.

"The special thing is that the ball can detect any contact made on its surface. Every time a player touches, kicks, or dribbles the ball, a sensor registers it and sends the signal to the International Broadcast Center," explained Willem Boijens, Adidas' Director of Digital Strategies.

Among the data the chip in the center of the ball measures is the speed it reaches when struck. "In any game, I think knowing the speed of a shot is important; now we can pinpoint it and assign a number," Boijens elaborated.

The ball can also measure other parameters such as rotation and trajectory. Boijens believes this data will be useful for improving player training in the future.

"I can think of many use cases now that we can extract data from the ball. For example, creating a training plan for a young player to become, say, a great striker or a perfect dribbler," he said.