Kasper Schmeichel certainly thinks so.
The former Denmark goalkeeper left nothing to chance, getting used to Adidas’s new ball well before the tournament began. He trained with the Trionda after its October 2025 release, though Denmark then lost their play-off final to the Czech Republic.
Now retired, Schmeichel says there’s a “serious difference between the balls.” Speaking on the BBC Football Daily podcast, he explained that this edition uses a four-panel construction with no stitching—everything is bonded. Combined with varying weather and air density, he believes the ball has less drag, spins less, and travels a fraction faster. He points to instances where keepers got close but couldn’t keep shots out—Pickford on Croatia’s opener, Luca Zidane facing Lionel Messi, and Edouard Mendy against Kylian Mbappé.
“The thing about this ball is that we want to see goals, so they build balls to score goals,” he said.
And there have been plenty. There have already been 20 goals from outside the box—twice as many as during the entire 2022 group stage. Opta also notes a rise in errors leading to goals: 11 so far across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, more than in the group stages of any of the past seven World Cups. While the expanded format means six extra matches have been played at this point, the increase is still notable.
“How often at the top level do you see a goalkeeper get a touch and it still ends up in the net?” Hart asked. “Hardly ever, because once they get contact, they usually push it wide. I’m noticing in this tournament that keepers are getting touches above shoulder height and still can’t keep it out—so something’s up.”