FIFA World Cup 2026:From smart match ball to robo dogs, here’s how AI is changing world’s largest sports event

The FIFA World Cup is already the biggest sporting event on the planet. The 2022 tournament in Qatar reportedly reached nearly five billion people worldwide, with over 3.4 million (34 lakhs) fans attending matches across eight stadiums and five cities. Now, the 2026 World Cup is preparing to become even bigger and smarter. For the first time ever, the tournament will be hosted by three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It will also feature a record-breaking 48 teams, making it the largest FIFA World Cup in history. But this time, football won’t just be powered by players and coaches. Artificial intelligence is set to play a major role behind the scenes from helping referees make better calls to giving fans a closer look at the game than ever before. AI is about to take over the world cup “It will be the most technologically advanced FIFA World Cup ever, ” Nacho Fresco, FIFA’s Director of Technology FIFA says the 2026 World Cup will be the most high-tech tournament ever. Working with Lenovo, FIFA has introduced several “Football AI” tools designed to improve refereeing, match analysis, and the overall fan experience. At the centre of this tech revolution is FIFA AI Pro, an advanced AI assistant built using FIFA’s own football-focused language model. Its goal? To give every national team, rich or poor equal access to top-level football insights. FIFA AI Pro: Giving every team a fair chance
In football, wealth often creates an advantage. Bigger teams can afford huge analytics departments, expensive software, and experts who study opponents in detail. Smaller football nations usually struggle to keep up. FIFA AI Pro aims to change that. All 48 teams competing in the World Cup will receive equal access to the tool. It can process hundreds of millions of data points to provide match analysis in different formats, including text, videos, graphs, and even 3D visuals. Coaches can ask questions in natural language before and after matches to better understand opponents, review tactics, and improve player performance. The platform also supports multiple languages, making it accessible to teams around the world. However, FIFA has placed one important limit: the system cannot be used during live matches to protect the human side of tactical decision-making.
“With Football AI Pro, we will democratise access to data by providing the most complete set of football analytics to all competing teams and soon to fans as well,” says FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Smarter offside calls with 3D player avatars Controversial offside decisions may soon become much easier to understand. At the 2026 World Cup, FIFA plans to introduce AI-powered 3D player avatars to improve semi-automated offside technology. Before matches, every player will undergo a quick one-second digital body scan. This scan creates an accurate 3D model of each player’s body. The system helps track players more precisely even during crowded penalty-box moments or fast movements where visibility is poor. The biggest benefit may be for fans. When an offside decision is made, broadcasters and stadium screens will show realistic 3D animations of the exact moment, helping viewers clearly understand why the call was made instead of relying on confusing replay angles. FIFA has already tested this system successfully during the FIFA Intercontinental Cup match between CR Flamengo and Pyramids FC. See the match through referee’s eyes Ever wondered what referees actually see during tense match moments? A new feature called Referee View aims to answer that. After a successful trial during the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025, FIFA plans to bring upgraded referee body cameras to the 2026 tournament. In the past, first-person referee footage often looked shaky and blurry because referees constantly sprint alongside players. Now, AI-powered stabilisation technology smooths the video in real time, making it clearer and easier to watch. For fans watching at home, this could offer a completely new perspective showing exactly what referees see before making important decisions. FIFA hopes the feature will improve transparency and help fans better understand the pressure officials face on the field.

Holograms
Not all innovation hides behind the scenes. Some of it renders right next to you. At select FIFA events, fans can snap photos with life-size digital players or hang with AI-powered football legends. The match ball will be smart too Even the official match ball is getting an AI upgrade. The 2026 World Cup ball, called ‘Trionda’ meaning “three waves” in Spanish will include a tiny built-in sensor. The technology uses an inertial measurement unit (IMU) chip that tracks the ball’s movement 500 times every second. This allows officials to monitor speed, direction, and movement with extreme accuracy in three dimensions. FIFA says the sensor will send live information to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, helping officials make faster and more accurate decisions, especially in offside situations. Robot dogs to help keep fans safe Security is also getting a futuristic twist. In Mexico, authorities plan to deploy robotic dogs during the World Cup to help police monitor risky situations. These four-legged machines are designed to enter potentially dangerous areas and send live video back to officers before action is taken. The robots were bought by the city council of Guadalupe, near Monterrey, for about 2.5 million pesos (roughly $145,000 or ₹1.39 crore). According to local officials, the machines are meant to support police during emergencies and help protect officers from danger. Football’s most high-tech tournament yet The 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be much more than a football competition. With AI-powered coaching tools, smarter refereeing systems, real-time ball tracking, immersive referee cameras, and even robot security, technology is set to become a key player on football’s biggest stage.