[News Terms] 'Al Rila' Identifies Ronaldo's Fake Goal

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Citizens are taking photos of the official ball 'Al Rila' sculpture on the beach in Doha, Qatar. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Attention is focused on 'Al Rihla,' which delivered the offside verdict involving Cristiano Ronaldo (unaffiliated), the captain of the Portugal national team who nearly became the World Cup's all-time top scorer following the 'legend' Eusebio.

Earlier, on the 29th of last month (Korean time), during the second match of Group H in the 2022 Qatar World Cup against Uruguay, Ronaldo claimed he scored a header goal, seemingly becoming the scorer of the opening goal. In the 54th minute, Ronaldo attempted a header from a cross delivered by Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), and the ball went inside the goal, initially credited as Ronaldo's goal.

However, shortly after, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) corrected the record to credit the goal to Fernandes. Upon reviewing the goal situation, it was concluded that the ball did not touch Ronaldo's head.

Even after the final whistle, Ronaldo insisted it was his goal, but Adidas, the official ball manufacturer of the Qatar World Cup, sealed the matter by stating that it was not Ronaldo's goal based on the records from 'Al Rihla.'

In a statement released on the 30th of last month, Adidas said, "Using the technology embedded in the official ball 'Al Rihla' that we manufactured, we can prove that Ronaldo did not make contact with the ball," adding, "The measurements showed no vibration during Ronaldo's header attempt. Using sensors inside the ball allows for very precise measurement."

The official ball 'Al Rihla,' which settled the truth dispute, means 'journey' in Arabic and was created by integrating cutting-edge technology. To make it as close to a perfect sphere as possible, 20 polyurethane panels composed of 8 triangular and 12 diamond-shaped pieces were attached with water-based adhesive over a rubber bladder. The diamond-shaped pieces were engraved with a pattern representing the Qatar national flag.

Notably, Al Rihla is the fastest and most accurate official ball ever, thanks to the application of the 'Speedshell' panel structure. The surface of the ball is processed with protrusions similar to a golf ball to reduce air resistance.

Scientific technology is also embedded inside Al Rihla. An inertial measurement sensor is installed at the center of the ball, which can accurately detect the ball's speed, direction, angle, and other positional information. The sensor transmits data at a rate of 500 times per second, and this information is used for the semi-automated offside technology (SAOT). The introduction of SAOT is a first for this Qatar World Cup.

The sensor in Al Rihla is charged wirelessly. When fully charged, the sensor operates for about 6 hours and can last up to 18 days in standby mode.