Millions tuned in on Friday, December 5, to see athletes, celebrities, and leaders from the United States, Mexico, and Canada take part in the official drawing for the FIFA World Cup. However, what you may not have realized is that a fourth country was also represented on stage: Pakistan.
Throughout the show, representatives drew the names of teams for each bracket from bowls containing miniature models of the FIFA official World Cup ball, the Trionda.
And all Triondas, including the lucky few that will be used on the pitch, are manufactured entirely in Pakistan—along with 70 percent of the world’s entire supply of footballs. What’s even more surprising is that almost all of them come from just one city: Sialkot.
Though the matches do not begin until June of next year, Pakistan can proudly say it has already played its role in bringing the world together to celebrate football and friendly competition.
