FIFA 2026 World Cup to Deploy Groundbreaking technology; 3D Scanning, AI Assist for Players

Dallas: FIFA has announced a series of major technological innovations for the 2026 World Cup, to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The changes, outlined by FIFA Innovation Director Johannes Holzmuller at a press conference at the International Broadcast Centre in Dallas, are aimed at improving decision-making accuracy, real-time match analysis, and the viewing experience for fans.

For the first time in World Cup history, Advanced Semi-Automated Offside Technology will be used. Under this system, offside alerts will be sent directly to the assistant referees on the pitch via smartwatch or similar device, bypassing the VAR room, enabling faster offside calls. The technology will be applied to position-based offside decisions only.

All players participating in the tournament will undergo 3D body scanning beforehand. Their digital avatars will be integrated with the offside technology and will also significantly enhance the quality of 3D replays in broadcast coverage.

FIFA will also release a generative AI assistant called Football AI Pro, available equally to all 48 participating teams regardless of financial resources, to help analyse match data and tactical information — democratising access to high-end football analytics.

Referee body cameras, first trialled at the previous World Cup, return with improved technology to eliminate motion blur and deliver sharper first-person footage to viewers in real time. Each stadium will be equipped with 16 optical tracking cameras capable of generating over 150 million tracking data points per match, enabling full 3D reconstruction of games and supporting VAR decisions.

The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19.