Liverpool will begin the 2025/26 season as Premier League champion, and indeed the favorite to lift the league title trophy once again in May of next year.
But the Reds and the rest of the teams in the top flight will be using a different ball next season as a result of the existing contract with Nike coming to an end. Puma will be taking over from the US sports brand, and there is a leaked version doing the rounds on social media ahead of its official release on Wednesday of this week.
The new ball will be primarily white with a purple design and the Premier League logo. Puma has been the supplier of the Carabao Cup balls in the past and drew the ire of Mikel Arteta earlier in the year when his Arsenal team were knocked out by Newcastle United.
"We kicked a lot of balls over the bar, and it’s tricky that these balls fly a lot," the Arsenal boss said at the time. "It’s very different to a Premier League ball, and you have to adapt to that because it flies differently.
"When you touch it, the grip is very different as well, so you have to adapt to that."
"We are delighted to be welcoming Puma as the Official Ball Supplier of the Premier League," the top flight's CEO Richard Masters said in March when the deal was announced. "Puma has a proud history of involvement in football over many years and we look forward to seeing the new ball used at all our matches from this summer onwards.
"Their global reach and commitment to excellence align with our values, and we are excited to work together on a range of projects to drive forward the incredible work taking place in communities and inspire fans worldwide."
It will likely be Arteta's Arsenal side and Manchester City — potentially with Pep Lijnders alongside Pep Guardiola in the dugout — who push Liverpool hardest when the new season begins. But making solid predictions at this point, before much transfer activity has taken place, is far too soon.
"Another special day," Arne Slot said in his post-match press conference when the title was won. "Less pressure than four weeks ago, of course, when we had to win the game to get those celebrations.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Fanatics Official Sports Apparel — Liverpool
"Now we knew we would get them. The energy in the stadium, how loud the fans were, the way the game ended in the last half-hour, going down to 10 men and then seeing such a great reaction from the players and the fans which led to, in my opinion, a deserved goal — we deserved to go 1-1.
"These players and these fans hate losing, don't want to lose and that's what we showed again today.
"I think I could feel today that it was 35 years ago that they were part of it. It's only been five years ago that we won the league but unfortunately the fans couldn't be there.
"Now they were and I think everybody could see what it means for the fans to win it, and that is what makes it special and, in the end, for us as well."