ULTIMAX PRO & TRAIN: MITRE UNVEILS THE NEW OFFICIAL FA CUP BALLS FOR 26/27 

 Published: 27/08/2026 | By: Alex Courbat

There's a reason the FA Cup still hits different. Non-league underdogs dreaming of a giant-killing. Premier League heavyweights sweating over a trip to somewhere they've never heard of. Replays, late winners, dodgy bounces and the occasional own goal that lives forever. It's football in its most chaotic, romantic form. 

So, when it came to the ball for the 26/27 Emirates FA Cup, Mitre wasn't about to phone it in with a new colourway and call it a day. Instead, they've built the latest Ultimax Pro around the thing that makes the competition what it is: the journey. Meet the Ultimax Pro FA Cup 26/27. 

The Design: Every Team's Road to Wembley, Stitched Into One Ball 

The concept is called 'Flow State', and the idea is pretty simple. Those sweeping red lines running across the white base represent the countless routes clubs take through the competition, from preliminary-round hopefuls to the teams eventually fighting it out under the Wembley arch. 

They twist, turn and cross paths before converging on the ultimate prize, represented by the silver FA Cup ribbon running through the design. 

It's a neat bit of storytelling, but more importantly, it feels like the FA Cup. No two journeys are the same, and somehow they all end up chasing the same bit of silverware. 

Of course, this is an Ultimax, so there's plenty going on beneath the surface too. The range has form. This is the lineage that includes the first football ever recorded to break 100mph, and Mitre's latest Pro model has been built to keep that pace up. 

What's Actually New Under the Hood 

The Ultimax Construction has had a proper rethink, with a new six-panel build designed around flight, durability and a more consistent strike. 

Then there's Hyperfoam cushioning, which has been boosted by 20% compared with the previous Ultimax Pro. The idea is simple: cleaner contact, more energy transfer and a softer feel when you catch it right. Because when you absolutely catch one, you want the ball flying, not your foot questioning every life choice that led to that moment. 

The aero tech gets even more interesting. Mitre's new Hyperflow groove design reduces in-flight drag by 10% versus the previous Ultimax Pro, based on virtual testing at 50kph and 100kph. 

So whether you're knocking a weighted pass into the channel or having a completely unreasonable go from 25 yards, the ball's designed to stay predictable through the air. 

And then there's the British weather. The great equaliser. Hyperseal thermally bonded seams mean the ball takes on virtually no water, helping it retain its shape and weight when the pitch is doing its best impression of a swimming pool. 

It's FIFA Quality Pro approved, suitable for grass and astro, and arrives in premium packaging that feels slightly too nice for something you're eventually going to launch into a hedge. 

And For the Rest of Us: The FA Cup Train Ball 

Not everyone needs an elite-level match ball, which is where the FA Cup Train comes in. It's the training replica of the official match ball, complete with the same Flow State graphics and silver FA Cup ribbon, but it's designed for the places where football actually happens every day. School pitches. Sunday league. Five-a-side. Back gardens. That one cage where the ball inevitably disappears over the fence. 

Available in sizes 5, 4 and 3, it's made for players of all ages and genders. The foam-backed lining gives it a softer, more controlled feel, while the TPU outer and strong air retention are designed to handle the sort of abuse a training ball gets through a season. 

The Bottom Line 

The clever thing about the new FA Cup balls is that they don't just borrow the competition's badge and call it a day. The whole idea is baked into the design. 

Every line on the Ultimax Pro and FA Cup Train points back to the thousands of clubs chasing the same dream, from the preliminary rounds right through to Wembley. 

That's the FA Cup. Different grounds, different stories, same destination. Flow State isn't just a graphic. It's the competition itself, captured in a football. 

Both the Ultimax Pro FA Cup 26/27 and FA Cup Train are available now.