Football enters the AI era: data-driven coaches, referees and fans at World Cup 2026

Lenovo and FIFA announce AI-based technology solutions for intelligent operations, player and coach support and more immersive fan experiences at FIFA World Cup 2026

by Luca Tremolada

7 January 2026

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

LAS VEGAS - At the CES in Las Vegas, football discovers that it is a data sport. Lots of data. Petabytes of passes, sprints, triangles and pinpoint offsides. Lenovo and FIFA, who have decided to turn the 2026 World Cup into the largest artificial intelligence laboratory ever seen on a playing field, are putting them in order.

AI as assistant coach

The iconic novelty is called Football AI Pro. It is not an app. It is a 'digital match analyst'. An assistant that coordinates multiple AI agents, analyses millions of game events and grinds out over 2,000 metrics. In seconds it answers questions that today require staff, time and budget.

Useful metaphor: it is like having an entire video room compressed into a laptop.

Coaches simulating a tactical variation before trying it out. Analysts comparing schemes with clips and 3D avatars. Players receiving personalised feedback, almost like a Garmin with a degree in football tactics.

The key point is 'democratisation'. Same data for all. Even for national teams without super analysis centres. AI, here, plays the social arbiter: it reduces the gap.

The offside explained to fans

The other revolution is visual. At the 2026 World Cup, offside will no longer be a line drawn with the TV ruler. Enter the digital avatars of the players: AI-generated 3D models, built on the real measurements of the athletes.

Every footballer becomes a 'digital twin'. Height, posture, centre of gravity. Everything counts. The result? Clearer replays for referees and fans. Less scheming, more geometry. The technology has already been tested. It works. And above all: it is understood.

The referee with the bodycam

Then there is the Referee View. The camera on the referee's chest, stabilised by AI. A video-game viewpoint, but real. Six billion viewers will be able to see the action as the referee sees it. Radical transparency. This is also a fact: trust comes through the image.

The Cup as an operating system

Behind the scenes, the World Cup becomes a platform. An Intelligent Command Centre monitors everything: stadiums, flows, security, transport. Venues have a digital twin. Cities become interactive maps. It is football adopting the logic of smart cities.

Luca TremoladaGiornalista
- @lucatremolada
- LinkedIn
Luogo: Milano via Monte Rosa 91
Lingue parlate: Inglese, Francese
Argomenti: Tecnologia, scienza, finanza, startup, dati
Premi: Premio Gabriele Lanfredini sull’informazione; Premio giornalistico State Street, categoria "Innovation"; DStars 2019, categoria journalism
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