Will the FIFA World Cup 2026 Be a Victim of Artificial Intelligence?

For decades, football has thrived on spontaneity, immediate emotions, and human error. It hasn't been a perfect game, but it has always been capable of creating unforgettable moments, whether through a historic goal, a controversial refereeing decision, or a talent discovered by chance by a scout on a remote dirt pitch.

Critics argue that the massive expansion of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to reshape the world's most popular sport, believing that the pursuit of perfection will destroy the very essence of the game.

They emphasize that football is not just about numbers, but a game based on creativity and spontaneity, but the fear is that matches will become mathematical equations, losing the element of surprise.

On the other hand, proponents of technology maintain that AI doesn't eliminate the human role, but rather enhances it, because the final decision remains with the coach and the player, while emotion and passion remain integral parts of the game.

Football Revolution

According to an international research study, the World Cup 2026, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will not only be the largest in terms of the number of teams, matches, and fans, but it may also be the edition that completely transforms the relationship between football and technology.

The upcoming World Cup represents a test of technology's ability to change how football is managed, followed, and handled, from team preparation to viewing and interaction, and even the revenue generated by the world's most popular sport.

Expanding the powers of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), the introduction of cameras mounted on the referee, the development of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT), the analysis of big data on player performance, and smart balls that transmit precise data about their movement are all steps that reflect a belief that technology has become an integral part of the game's future.

Even fans are no longer mere spectators; they are now actively involved in the game through apps and websites that provide real-time statistics and in-depth analysis.

This technological revolution has brought about radical changes in the way football is played and managed.

The transformations weren't limited to refereeing; they extended to the very way players were discovered.

In the past, football scouts relied on sight, experience, and intuition, which is why the element of surprise was always present. 

Today, however, clubs possess massive databases and analytical software capable of vetting thousands of players in seconds, based on numbers, statistics, and performance metrics.

According to a survey conducted by The Athletic, 65% of Premier League scouts believe that AI will directly impact their role in the coming years.

Technology hasn't just changed how players are discovered; it's also beginning to permeate technical and tactical decisions.

Some coaches are increasingly relying on analytics and AI to understand opponents, select formations, and even assess players' physical workloads.

Robert Moreno, a renowned Spanish coach, was dismissed from Russian club Sochi in September 2025 due to his excessive reliance on ChatGPT in making technical and training decisions.

The impact of technology hasn't been limited to players and coaches; it has extended to the fans themselves, especially with the widespread popularity of Fantasy Football.

Previously, Fantasy Football fans relied on daily match updates, personal analysis, and their intuition to select their squads. For example, you might follow a team threatened with relegation because you had a player on their roster, which added to the excitement.

Now, however, AI-powered applications have emerged, suggesting ideal formations, the most suitable transfers, and even the captain's armband for each game week.

A study published by Virgin Media O2 in August 2025 revealed that 66% of Fantasy Football players intend to use AI this season to help manage their teams. 

The study indicated that the trend is increasing among those aged 25-34, while older players prefer to rely on experience.

Despite its widespread use, many believe that AI spoils the enjoyment of the game and constitutes a form of cheating.

The study showed that the main motivations for using AI are improving results, saving time, and reducing the pressure of decision-making.

Major Shift

The most distinctive feature of the World Cup 2026, making it a truly historic event, is that it will be the first World Cup to fully integrate artificial intelligence technologies into every aspect of the tournament.

The strategic partnership between FIFA and leading technology companies has transformed what was once considered science fiction into a tangible reality.

FIFA World Cup 2026 has established a new partnership with Lenovo which enables them to progress past basic data collection into advanced systems where AI manages match analysis, officiating, logistics, and fan engagement.

The partnership operates through three main components which include Intelligent Operations, Enhanced Officiating, and Hyper-Personalized Fan Experiences. 

The main breakthrough of the system brings forth 'Football AI Pro' which serves as a generative AI knowledge assistant. 

The tool will be accessible to all 48 competing teams because it was developed using FIFA World Cup 2026 data collection of more than 300 million data points and a dedicated Football Language Model.

Another key achievement is the creation of 3D digital models of the 1,200 participating players (48 teams, each with a maximum of 25 players).

This technology will scan their bodies with pinpoint accuracy, recreating a parallel world of football in digital space, where every minute player movement is digitized with absolute precision compared to reality on the pitch.

This approach serves not only entertainment and image rights purposes, but more importantly, it forms the basis for an enhanced version of the SAOT that will be used at the World Cup 2026.

Unlike previous debates surrounding offside lines, AI can now calculate offside and make decisions in less than five seconds, instead of relying on the referee's visual observation.

The 3D models allow VARs to see beyond even the most chaotic situations, where human vision or traditional camera angles are often unclear.

This promises greater fairness and, more importantly, avoids disrupting the emotional flow of the game – something that has been a casualty of technology in recent years.

AI has the potential to transform how coaches manage matches. The FIFA Football AI Pro platform is a prime example of this evolution.

Thanks to the platform’s analytical support, smaller teams, such as Curacao or Cape Verde, can now access in-depth analysis previously reserved for the largest, most well-resourced clubs.

AI helps analyze millions of match data points to suggest substitutions, adjust formations, and predict player injury risks in real time.

This will help close the skills gap, leading to a more exciting and engaging World Cup than ever before.

Looking ahead, the 2026 World Cup appears poised to become a massive AI laboratory, redefining global football.

As AI matures, the role of humans in football—from referees to coaches—will shift from execution to observation and decision-making based on intelligent indicators.

The viewing experience will be transformed with AI-powered referee perspective technology.

This technology uses body-mounted cameras to capture live footage from the referee’s perspective on the pitch.

Fans watching the match from the referee's point of view will feel as if they are playing an interactive video game.

The 48-team tournament requires more than 90 minutes of play because it needs complex logistical operations which span across three countries (USA, Canada, Mexico). 

FIFA World Cup 2026 is establishing an Intelligent Command Centre to handle the situation. 

The system employs AI to track ongoing information throughout all locations and administrative units and television transmission systems.

FIFA World Cup 2026 uses stadium digital twins to track crowd movement and improve security measures and prevent operational issues from developing into major challenges. 

SanDisk estimated that the tournament would generate more than 90 petabytes of data, around 45 times the amount produced during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

BofA expects data volumes to reach a record 2 exabytes, roughly equivalent to 45,000 years of 4K video.

Data Infrastructure

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is shaping up to be far more than just a football tournament. 

According to a report by Bank of America, it could become the world’s first fully AI-driven and data-intensive mega sporting event.

This shift is accelerating the importance of edge computing, where data is generated and analyzed directly within stadium environments instead of relying solely on cloud infrastructure. 

This trend is also driving higher valuations for specialized AI chipmakers and high-density data center REITs.

The scale of data generation is expected to be unprecedented. 

USB and SSD major SanDisk estimates the tournament could cross the 90-petabyte milestone, nearly 45 times higher than the data generated during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which had been the most connected and digitally active tournament until now.

To illustrate the scale, the report said 1 petabyte roughly equals 13.3 years of HD video. 

By that measure, the tournament could generate the digital equivalent of nearly 1,200 years of high-definition footage in just over a month.

And this 90-petabyte estimate only captures direct data generation and excludes social media interactions, selfies, mobile usage and other digital activity. 

Including these layers, Bank of America estimates the total data footprint could reach nearly 2 exabytes, equivalent to around 45,000 years of 4K video.

It also highlighted that the challenge is not just the quantity of data, but its quality and speed. 

The report noted that data consumption will be uneven across regions and periods, with peak traffic moments requiring near-zero latency delivery.

Unlike previous tournaments, the data infrastructure for the 2026 World Cup is expected to be built specifically for real-time AI inference.

In turn, sports analyst Ziad al-Rais told Al-Estiklal: "We are moving toward a world where football is not just played on grass but is optimized in the cloud."

"The current moment requires people who want to enter the future of sports business and technology to start developing their skills and take an AI Course," he added.

"The upcoming tournament demonstrates how advanced all AI technologies have become because they now serve as fundamental systems which support every aspect of football," he noted.