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As FIFA prepares for the World Cup to kick off in North America, it is set to deploy new technologies to improve both the game and the fan experience.
From AI-generated player avatars and sensor-equipped match balls to a generative AI platform for team analysis, the governing body is introducing tools designed to support referees, teams and broadcasters in reshaping how the game is experienced on and off the pitch.
“We are ensuring that innovation benefits every player, every team, and every fan everywhere in the world … and of course benefits the greatest game of all, football,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in January in Las Vegas.
Sensors in the FIFA football
Technology is embedded in the most crucial part of any football game: the ball.
FIFA’s Trionda ball, made by Adidas, is equipped with a 500-hertz motion-sensor chip that gives officials insight into its every movement, capturing data 500 times per second, FIFA said.
The technology helps referees identify the kick point, which is the exact moment when a player makes contact with the ball, to enable quicker and more accurate offside calls.
It will also help identify handballs or penalties by recording any touches made during play, something traditionally difficult for referees to spot using video alone, FIFA said.
Fewer referee errors?
FIFA will also build digital avatars of all 1,248 players at the World Cup to help referees “make faster decisions” and provide a clearer idea of on-pitch incidents, Infantino said.
Each player will undergo a one-second body scan before the competition, creating a “highly accurate” 3D model of them and making it easier for referees to see them during fast or obstructed movements.
The 3D models will complement FIFA’s existing semi-automated offside technology, which uses cameras inside the stadium to track the positions of the ball and players 50 times per second.
When the ball is played to a potentially offside attacker, officials in the control room receive an automatic alert and can validate the position before informing an on-pitch referee.
The 3D models will also be incorporated into live replays during the official broadcast of the game for fans at stadiums and at home.
Another use of AI during the game is “Referee View,” a camera which, with the help of AI, will broadcast stabilised images from the game to viewers at home and fans in stadiums “as if you are in the centre of the field together with the players,” Infantino continued.
Digital assistant to help in match analysis
One of FIFA’s biggest projects for the upcoming World Cup is the creation of Football AI Pro, an AI assistant for all the competing teams.
The AI assistant will analyse matches to “deliver tactical insights, performance analysis,” and strategic recommendations.
The tool is supposed to help managers and coaches do their jobs better by translating raw data from a match into actionable recommendations.
The AI assistant will also “democratise access to data,” by providing football analytics to all 48 competing teams and fans, Infantino explained.
The tool can create text summaries, video breakdowns and graphical representations of match data, helping teams prepare for opponents and review performances.