Final match ball marks past Wembley showpieces

From AC Milan in 1963 to FC Barcelona two years ago, all the previous European Cup showpieces held at Wembley are celebrated in the 2013 UEFA Champions League final match ball unveiled on Wednesday.

The visual appearance of the ball reflects the six finals played at the 'Home of Football', with the relevant years incorporated into the star panel design – an iconic feature of adidas's official match balls for the competition. The graphics and colour scheme combine to emphasise the grandeur of the occasion, which will be watched on 25 May by a near 90,000-strong crowd at the stadium and millions more around the world.

This season's will be the 20th official match ball adidas has produced for the UEFA Champions League. The adidas Finale Wembley, which features an outer coating texture designed to provide optimal grip at the point of impact, will be used on the pitch from the round of 16 onwards.

"The ball is bold, iconic and almost regal in appearance which, for us, brilliantly reflects the UEFA Champions League values and the fact that this year's final will be held in London," said Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA Events SA marketing director.

"This season will see the ball used on-pitch for all knockout stage matches along the road to Wembley, where the Kings of Europe will be crowned on what promises to be another historic night of European club football."

The adidas Finale Wembley is available for purchase in adidas retail stores and associated stockists as of 1 February.