The Premier League season for 2025-26 wrapped up just days ago, yet Puma has already unveiled the official match ball for the upcoming 2026-27 season. This new ball, the “Stellar Nitro Ultimate,” continues the tradition of bold neon pink and purple colors established by its predecessor, the “Orbita Ultimate.” However, it features several technical upgrades, including nitrogen-infused foam designed to enhance energy transfer and responsiveness, alongside a distinctive panel design and grooved surface texturing intended to improve ball stability during high-speed play.
Puma’s takeover as the Premier League match ball supplier followed Nike’s long-standing 22-year reign, which ended last summer. In addition to the Premier League, Puma also supplies official match balls for Spain’s LaLiga and Germany’s Bundesliga, marking a significant presence in three of Europe’s premier domestic leagues.
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Despite the significant transition from Nike to Puma not causing much disruption, several Premier League players and managers have commented on the lightness of the Orbita ball compared to its Nike predecessors during the 2025-26 season.
These observations gained further validation when Ryan O’Hanlon from ESPN conducted a controlled test in Japan, comparing the Nike Flight (2024-25) and Puma Orbita (2025-26). Their findings indicated that the Orbita generally traveled further and showed signs of destabilization earlier than the Nike ball.
As a result, some speculate that the new Puma ball may have favored players willing to take long-range shots, like Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, who made effective use of powerful long-range efforts last season.
It remains to be seen whether the “Stellar Nitro Ultimate” will continue to assist players with ambitious 25-yard shots. We’ll only have to wait three months to find out…