With World Cup 2014 only six months away, and the official draw taking place tomorrow to see which countries will face off against each other in the group stages, adidas has revealed the official match ball for the tournament, and it’s a beauty. The company sent us our own Brazuca (an informal local term that means “Brazilian”) to test out this week, and we have a good feeling that, unlike World Cup 2010’s much-criticized Jabulani ball, players are going to really love playing with this one.

The Brazuca is a breakthrough innovation featuring a revolutionary six-panel design and a unique surface that provides improved grip, touch sensibility and aerodynamics. It’s got just enough stickiness from the goose bump texture without being a hindrance to flair players, and it’s not nearly as unpredictable in the air as the Jabulani, which should be music to goalkeepers’ ears. The colors and ribbon design on the ball panels symbolize the traditional multicolored wish bracelets worn in Brazil, and also reflect the vibrancy and fun associated with soccer in the country.

Quite amazingly, the Brazuca has gone through two and half years of testing involving more than 600 of the world’s top players – including Lionel Messi, Iker Casillas, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Zinedine Zidane – as well as 30 teams in 10 countries across three continents, making it the most tested ball ever by adidas. And that attention to detail really shows in the final product, hopefully resulting in a World Cup remembered more for the incredible moments than the Brazuca itself. After all, that’s the true test of a great match ball.

For more on the Brazuca, check out the video below to see the ball in action, head over to adidas.com to buy your own, and be sure to follow @adidassoccer and @brazuca for other news leading up to next year’s World Cup.