ADIDAS spent million of dollars developing what they believe to be the most perfect piece of equipment ever used in the game — so why does it keep popping?

The Telstar 18 ball burst twice in France’s win over Australia and again during Uruguay’s over Saudi Arabia.
The delays — added to those resulting from VAR — have slowed down what has been a thrilling tournament so far.

FIFA said in a statement: “The Telstar18 has been tested on every continent, in every climate and with over 600 professional players and more than 30 leading clubs and federations.

“We’re extremely confident in the ball and look forward to seeing it at the centre of the action throughout the tournament.”

Adidas believed they had come up with the secret to stopping Cristiano Ronaldo’s knuckle ball free-kicks with the new ball.

It was scientifically designed to cut out the amount of dip and swerve players can put on it.

Though in Portugal’s opening game against Spain, Ronaldo scored a superb last-minute equaliser from a free-kick.

DRUNKEN BET SEES SWISS TRACTOR TO RUSSIA
PLOUGHING through nearly 2,000km of autobahns and city traffic, Beat Studer and his trusty tractor rumbled into Kaliningrad on Thursday having completed an epic World Cup journey to watch his beloved Switzerland take on Serbia.

Shining brightly under a midday sun, the 1964 vintage crimson red tractor pulled into a Kaliningrad Stadium parking lot having reached the finish line of a 12-day odyssey that began just outside Lucerne and will culminate, Studer hopes, on Friday with a Swiss victory in the Group E showdown.

Studer, who owns a tractor museum, and two friends Werner Zimmermann and Josef Wyer, came up with the idea after Switzerland qualified for Russia.

“With the tractor we have no problems,” explained Wyer, who drove the support van and handled logistics while Studer and Zimmermann took turns at the wheel of the tractor for six hours each day.

“I had the problem with the two drivers because every night when they finished driving I would tell them they are like the two on the Muppet show because always they are like children.

“Normally a man one time in his life can do something like this so we had really, really good time together.”

“Stupid ideas come only when you are a little bit drunken,” added Weir with a hearty laugh.

OVERNIGHT RESULTS:
Australia 1 — Denmark 1
Croatia 3 — Argentina 0
France 1 — Peru 0

WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA IS TALKING ABOUT:
Messi, it’s all about Messi …

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Winners are grinners