2026 World Cup: see how technology will be applied at the World Cup in Canada, USA and Mexico

The 2026 World Cup It will not only be the largest in history in terms of the number of teams and venues, but also the most technological. THE FIFA and its partner companies have implemented a data and sensor ecosystem focused on accuracy for arbitration and the democratization of tactical analysis.

See the main changes and how the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) changes to 2026 World Cup, node Canada, United States and Mexico.

TRIONDA: FIRST BALL WITH AI?

THE official tournament ballcalled Trionda, presents the smallest number of panels in the history of Cups: just four, joined by thermobonding.

The deep seam design is designed to have aerodynamic stabilitywhile the embossed texture improves grip on lawns. The big difference, however, is inside. THE Trionda load a 500Hz motion sensor.

Contrary to what is speculated, the ball does not have a “own artificial intelligence”but a chip that acts as a transmitter.

It sends impact and rotation data 500 times per second to the cockpit computers VAR, helping the referees to identify the exact thousandth of a second in which a pass is done or if there was a subtle touch to the ball.

This technology of Trionda It even facilitates the use of semi-automatic deterrent which, from the ball, can determine exactly the second a ball was touched.

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SEMIAUTOMATIC IMPEDATION

Offside detection technology was expanded compared to Qatar, in 2022. The stadiums now have 16 cameras installed on the ceiling, dedicated exclusively to optical tracking.

The system reads 29 points on the body of each athlete on the field, 50 times per second. In addition to the millisecond technology of Trionda, the FIFA performed body scanning of all 1,248 players registered for the World Cup so that the graphic representation in the cabin of the VAR is accurate.

When an adjusted bid occurs, the Artificial intelligence crosses the tracking data of cameras with the exact moment of the pass (sent by the ball chip) and instantly generates a model 3D — an avatar with the player’s exact measurements —, showing the line of offside with millimeter precision.

TACTICAL ANALYSIS WITH AI

Outside the four lines, the technology seeks to level the playing field. Through a partnership with Lenovo, FIFA handed over to 48 teams participating in Football AI Pro.

The platform ensures that teams with smaller budgets, such as Haiti, have access to the same level of analysis software of data that powers like Brazil, France and Germany.

The tool uses artificial intelligence generative to unravel game patterns, create reports and analyze physical metrics.

THE REFEREE’S VIEW

One vision of the game that won over the public last year was the implementation of ‘Referee Cam’ (Referee Camera, in the free translation from English).

You judges will use micro cameras attached to the body that will be seen in real time through the broadcast of matches.

The novelty is the use of a AI-focused image stabilization software to avoid blurry or confusing images, which smoothes the capture in real time and gives the viewer the referee’s perspective.