Fifa has revealed a set of AI-based technologies for the 2026 World Cup that will affect match analysis, officiating and how fans watch the tournament.
The competition, which will feature 48 teams across the United States, Canada and Mexico, is set to become the most technologically advanced World Cup yet.
At the centre of the plans is Football AI Pro, a new assistant designed to analyse millions of football data points and turn them into written reports, video, graphics and 3D images for every team at the tournament. Fifa says the aim is to give all sides access to high-level analysis tools that have mostly been available to bigger powers in the game.
Fifa will also create 3D AI avatars for all 1,248 players taking part. Each player will be scanned before the tournament in about one second to produce a digital body model that will help the semi-automated offside system in crowded scenes or when camera angles are limited.
A new version of referee view will also be used, recreating incidents from the official's angle for TV broadcasts and key replays. The Trionda match ball will carry an advanced motion sensor able to record and send movement data 500 times per second, feeding into VAR and helping with offside and touch decisions.