Google has unveiled a new Doodle honouring one of football's most electrifying dribbling tricks, the elastico, as the 2026 FIFA World Cup continues to captivate fans worldwide.
What Is the Elastico?
Also known as the flip flap, the elástico is a deceptive footwork move that has bamboozled defenders at the highest levels of the game for decades. The player pushes the ball outward, selling a dummy in one direction, then instantaneously whips it back the other way, all in one fluid, barely-there motion. The trick works entirely on misdirection - by the time the defender reacts to the first movement, the attacker is already gone. Brazilian legend Ronaldinho is widely credited with popularising the move on the world stage, though its origins trace back even further. The Doodle went live on June 14 across the globe, including in India.
Part of Google's World Cup Doodle series
This is the third consecutive football-themed Doodle Google has released since the tournament kicked off. The series began on June 12 with a tribute to the nutmeg, the cheeky move where a player rolls the ball straight through an opponent's legs, followed on June 13 by a Doodle spotlighting the rabona, a theatrical strike where a player wraps their kicking leg behind the standing leg to connect with the ball. Each Doodle in the series celebrates not just the game itself, but the artistry and flair that make football a global spectacle.
The backdrop to all of this is the biggest World Cup in history. The 2026 edition is the 23rd instalment of the tournament and the first to feature an expanded field of 48 teams, up from 32 previously. It is also the first World Cup co-hosted by three nations, the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with matches spread across 16 cities including Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, Mexico City, Toronto, and Vancouver. The tournament runs from June 11 through July 19.
