October 26 – Mitre has unveiled the official match ball for the FA Cup and Women’s FA Cup ahead of the start of the knock-out competitions next Friday.
The release coincides with the news that Mitre has extended its partnership with The FA for a further three years, seeing the brand continue as the official ball supplier across several FA competitions including the Emirates FA Cup, the Women’s FA Cup, the Isuzu FA Vase, the Isuzu FA Trophy, and the Golden Ball Awards until the end of the 2026/7 season.
The Mitre Ultimax Pro, said Mitre, has been constructed using thermal bonding and feature hyper flow debossed grooves and a hyper-foam midlayer to aid the technical performance of the ball.
Mitre says the new product will have “incredible flight consistency, unbeatable shape retention and ultimate power.”
From an aesthetic perspective, the Ultimax Pro Emirates FA Cup and Ultimax Pro Women’s FA Cup balls throw it back to the 90s with a modern take on the design of the OG Mitre Ultimax, updating its look for today’s player by including detailed geometric patterns inspired by fans’ scarves and flags on matchdays and the football community.
The FA Cup’s signature bold red features on the men’s ball, whilst the women’s ball features the Women’s FA Cup brand colours including deep purple, The FA’s blue and touches of mint green, accented by the silver of the trophies.
Replicas of the match balls will be available in training ranges and smaller sizes at cheaper prices to suit all abilities and ages.
Simon Rowe, VP Global Sports Marketing at Pentland Brands, Mitre’s parent company, said: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with The FA for a further three years. At our core, we are a brand dedicated to our fans, and we firmly believe the beautiful game should always start with a beautiful ball. Today we proudly introduce the new Emirates FA Cup Ultimax Pro ball and Women’s FA Cup ball designs. Players and fans can expect the same game-changing technology coupled with a levelled-up retro design that encapsulates Mitre’s iconic past through the current football scene.”
Round 1 of the FA Cup and Women’s FA Cup begin on November 3 and October 29 respectively.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1714863598labto1714863598ofdlr1714863598owedi1714863598sni@g1714863598niwe.1714863598yrrah1714863598