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FIFA and Lenovo Launch Unprecedented AI Innovations in Preparation for the 2026 World Cup
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), in partnership with Lenovo, has launched an advanced suite of AI-based technological innovations aimed at transforming refereeing, match analysis, and audience engagement ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, which will feature 48 teams for the first time.
These technologies were unveiled during Lenovo’s annual Tech World event, held concurrently with the opening day of CES at the Sphere facility in Las Vegas, USA, with the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Lenovo Chairman and CEO Yang Yuanqing.
The new innovations include the Football AI Pro tool, AI-supported 3D player avatars, and an enhanced version of the broadcast system using the match referee’s camera. These developments reflect FIFA’s strategic direction towards digital innovation in line with the “Global Game Strategic Goals 2023-2027.”
As FIFA’s official technology partner for both the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™, Lenovo will provide hardware, infrastructure, software, solutions, and AI-supported services that cover various technical aspects related to organizing both tournaments.
Among these innovations, the Football AI Pro tool stands out as it is designed as a generative AI knowledge assistant supporting all 48 teams participating in the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. This tool aims to provide the same advanced analytical capabilities to all teams, thereby promoting fairness in a game increasingly reliant on data.
Football AI Pro will leverage FIFA’s football language model alongside Lenovo’s AI capabilities to analyze hundreds of millions of football data points, generating accurate insights in text, video, graphics, and 3D formats across multiple languages. This tool will be used before and after matches for performance analysis but will not be permitted during gameplay.
In a related development, the 3D player avatars represent a significant leap in semi-automated offside technology, utilizing super-high-resolution digital scanning of players within about a second to create accurate 3D models that reliably track their movements even in complex situations. These models will be integrated into the broadcasting system, allowing for more realistic and engaging presentations of offside decisions made by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
This technology was successfully tested during last year’s FIFA Club World Cup™, specifically in the Challenge Cup match between Flamengo and Pyramids, proving its readiness to assist referees in the 2026 World Cup.
The two parties also announced a new version of the match referee camera shot-broadcasting system, which incorporates an AI-supported stabilization program that allows for real-time image transmission with reduced motion blur, providing more stable and high-quality footage, enhancing viewers’ experience closer to that of being in the stadium, while increasing transparency, interaction, and understanding of refereeing decisions.
In a statement, Gianni Infantino confirmed that the FIFA World Cup 2026™ will be “the biggest and best edition in history,” indicating that the tournament will host 104 matches and attract approximately seven million spectators, while about six billion viewers worldwide will follow the event. He added that FIFA and Lenovo’s reliance on AI aims to support teams and referees, providing an unprecedented viewing experience for fans while ensuring democratic access to analytical data.
Yang Yuanqing emphasized that the 2026 World Cup will be the most technologically advanced in the tournament’s history, asserting that Lenovo’s comprehensive solutions, led by Football AI Pro, will mark a turning point in organizing the competition and enriching the accompanying fan experience within a long-term strategic partnership with FIFA.
