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How Technology Is Transforming The FIFA World Cup
Pressure test // Image by Kait Cunniff with DALL-E
The 2026 FIFA World Cup may look like the game fans have always known, but behind the scenes, it’s becoming one of the world’s biggest testing grounds for sports technology. Many of the innovations on display this year were first trialed at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar before being rolled out for future tournaments.
Behind The Goal: Qatar’s 2022 World Cup became FIFA’s largest tech test lab, according to WIRED, giving the organization a chance to try out innovations that are now shaping tournaments around the world.
Adidas’ connected match ball, paired with AI-powered player tracking and semiautomated offside technology, is helping officials make faster, more accurate decisions.
Tools like referee bodycams, real-time 3D recreations, and out-of-bounds detection are giving fans new ways to experience the game while helping officials review key plays.
FIFA has also expanded the use of the tech beyond officiating. Players now have access to detailed performance data through the FIFA Player App, while simplified video review systems are making advanced officiating tools more accessible across lower levels of the sport.
The Test Lab: Qatar’s legacy may extend well beyond hosting the 2022 World Cup. As Thani Al Zarraa, executive director of Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, told WIRED, “Since the FIFA Arab Cup 2021, we have done more than host football’s biggest matches; we have helped shape how the game is played, officiated, and experienced.”
What’s Next: Major sporting events are becoming showcases for new technology as much as elite competition. If FIFA’s recent approach continues, future tournaments may serve as proving grounds for the next generation of sports innovation.
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Today’s email was written by Nick Comney and Kait Cunniff.
Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.