Adidas Could Lose Trademark for 2026 World Cup Trionda Ball Panel Design
Mar 27, 2026, by Phan Tich Giay
- Trademark Dispute: Adidas is facing a legal challenge that could strip them of the exclusive design rights for the Trionda, the official match ball of the 2026 World Cup, in Europe.
- Challenger's Claim: Marius Dittmar, a designer, is contesting Adidas's design protection, arguing that he had previously designed similar four-panel footballs and that the Trionda's design is not significantly different from a 2008 US patent.
- Adidas's Response: Adidas downplays the potential impact, stating that losing the design trademark would only affect their exclusive use of the panel design in Europe, but not the use of the panel shapes, and that they have other protections in place.
The Adidas Trionda, the official match ball for the 2026 World Cup, is being hailed by CEO Bjørn Gulden as his "favorite product" and "the most beautiful and technically sophisticated football ever." However, behind the scenes, a major legal dispute is threatening to strip Adidas of the exclusive design rights for this highly anticipated ball in Europe.
This incredible story was first reported by Christoph Neßhöver for the German business publication, manager magazin.
Adidas Could Lose Trademark for 2026 World Cup Trionda Ball Panel Design
The defining feature of the new Adidas 2026 Trionda ball is its revolutionary construction. Instead of the traditional multi-panel design (like the classic 32-panel Telstar), the Trionda is constructed using just four large, star-shaped panels.
Adidas naturally sought to protect this innovative four-part design to prevent competitors from copying it during the massive World Cup sales cycle. They filed for design protection with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) under the number 015017152-0001.
The Challenger: Marius Dittmar
However, that protection is now under severe threat. Marius Dittmar, a 34-year-old former amateur footballer and owner of the design firm 142k, has officially filed a request with the EUIPO to cancel Adidas’s design protection.
Dittmar, who designs footballs and sports accessories for brands like Jako and Hummel, claims he had already designed several four-panel footballs himself. When leaked images of the Trionda first appeared online a year ago, Dittmar believed Adidas had stolen his design concept.
Dittmar registered his design with the German Patent and Trademark Office in November 2023.
Adidas had secretly filed their Trionda design with the EUIPO before Dittmar in 2023 but chose not to publish or activate it immediately - a common practice to hide upcoming products.
When Adidas learned of Dittmar's nearly identical registration, they rushed to officially activate their EUIPO protection in late March 2025.
The "Prior Art" Argument
Because Adidas technically filed their secret EUIPO application before Dittmar's German registration, Dittmar took a different legal route to invalidate Adidas's claim.
In October 2025, Dittmar filed for the cancellation of Adidas’s protection by citing an older US patent from 2008. This 2008 patent, filed by an American creative, describes a four-panel ball design that Dittmar argues is strikingly similar to the Trionda.
The core legal argument is whether the Adidas Trionda design significantly differs from the "existing wealth of forms" already established by that 2008 US patent. If the EUIPO determines that it does not, Adidas could lose its exclusive design rights.
Adidas's Response: "No Commercial Impact"
While losing the design trademark would undoubtedly be an embarrassment for the brand that has supplied every World Cup ball since 1970, Adidas publicly downplays the threat.
When asked for comment by manager magazin, Adidas stated that a cancellation would have "no commercial impact." They clarified that losing the case would only jeopardize "the exclusive use of the panel design by Adidas in Europe, but not the use of the panel shapes by Adidas itself." Furthermore, they noted they hold three separate protections for the Trionda covering the panel shape, color design, and surface structure.
However, if the protection falls in Europe, it could potentially open the door for copycats and cheaper competitors to legally produce and sell structurally identical four-panel footballs in crucial markets.
The implications of this dispute extend far beyond the 2026 World Cup. Adidas uses this same four-panel technology across its wider football portfolio. The recently released "Conext 26 Pro" ball utilizes the exact same structure, and it is highly likely that upcoming match balls for the Champions League, MLS, and the Bundesliga will also rely on this four-panel blueprint.
The EUIPO is currently reviewing the case to decide whether Trionda's design protection will stand or fall.
What do you think of this legal battle over the Trionda ball design? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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