FIFA President Infantino Highlights How AI Will Impact 2026 FIFA World Cup and BeyondAI-generated 3D player avatars take offside technology to the next levelBy Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director Monday, January 12, 2026 - 1:08 pm
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FIFA and Lenovo have unveiled a series of artificial-intelligence-driven technological innovations intended to enhance officiating technologies, match analysis capabilities and performance, and drive fan engagement ahead of the game-changing 48-team FIFA World Cup 2026.
Revealed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Lenovo Chairman/CEO Yuanqing Yang at Lenovo Tech World 2026, the Football AI innovations comprise Football AI Pro, AI-enabled 3D player avatars, and an updated version of the Referee View broadcast footage. The technologies underline FIFA's strategic focus on digital innovation and AI, as outlined in its Strategic Objectives for the Global Game: 2023-27.
FIFA's Gianni Infantino says Lenovo will power next-generation AI services for FIFA.
FIFA's Official Technology Partner for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027, Lenovo provides AI-enabled devices, infrastructure, software, solutions, and services at FIFA's two flagship competitions and across world football's governing body.
A lead innovation for FIFA World Cup 2026, Football AI Pro is a generative-AI knowledge assistant developed to support all 48 participating teams in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. The tool reflects a shared ambition to harness innovation not only to advance elite performance but also to help level the playing field in an increasingly data-driven sport.
At the highest level of the game, access to sophisticated analysis often depends on the financial and technical resources at a team's disposal. Football AI Pro seeks to address this imbalance, with all 48 competing teams at global football's premier event set to benefit from the same advanced pre/postmatch analytical capabilities.
Powered by Lenovo's full-stack AI capabilities and built on FIFA's Football Language model, Football AI Pro analyses hundreds of millions of FIFA owned-and-organized football data points to generate validated insights in text, video, graphic, and 3D visualizations. The interface will support prompts in many languages and will deliver consistent, tournament-wide intelligence based on millions of football data points per game. The new tool can be used before and after matches for match analysis but not during live play.
AI-enabled 3D player avatars represent a significant development in semi-automated offside technology. Players participating in the upcoming global showpiece will be digitally scanned to create a precise 3D model. Each scan takes approximately one second and captures highly accurate body-part dimensions, allowing the system to track players reliably during fast or obstructed movements.
In addition, the 3D models will be incorporated into the host broadcast, enabling offside decisions determined by the video assistant referee (VAR) system to be displayed more realistically and in a more engaging way to fans at stadiums and to viewers around the world.
The technology was successfully tested at last year's FIFA Intercontinental Cup, with CR Flamengo and Pyramids FC players scanned ahead of their FIFA Challenger Cup showdown. The system was trialled throughout the match, demonstrating its capability and readiness to support match officials at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
FIFA and Lenovo have also launched a new iteration of Referee View, building on the successful trial of the original version at last year's inaugural FIFA Club World Cup. AI-powered stabilization software will be deployed to smooth footage from the referee's camera in real time, reducing motion blur caused by rapid movement. The stabilized footage will deliver a higher-quality, first-person perspective for global audiences, enhancing transparency, understanding, and engagement throughout the match.
The FIFA World Cup in 2026 is going to be the greatest show ever on planet Earth, says Infantino. Seven million people will attend the 104 matches - [the equivalent of] 104 Super Bowls - dozens of millions of fans will travel to North America to feel the FIFA World Cup vibe, 6 billion people will watch it from home, and the world will stand still.
FIFA and Lenovo, he continues, are fully embracing digital technologies and artificial intelligence, Football AI, to support teams and match officials while also providing a new mind-blowing experience to fans worldwide. With Football AI Pro, we will democratize access to data by providing the most complete set of football analytics to all competing teams and soon to fans as well.
The next generation of Referee View will show new AI-enabled stabilized pictures to make the viewing experience unique - as if you are in the center of the field with the players, Infantino says. And AI-enabled 3D avatars will ensure precise player identification and tracking - a big advance in semi-automated offside technology providing great images, faster decisions, and a clear understanding by everyone.
But of course, he adds, this is just the beginning. Fans worldwide should stay tuned for more exciting developments with Football AI and other innovations, as FIFA and Lenovo create unforgettable experiences in the months and years ahead.
Yang notes that FIFA World Cup 2026, powered by Lenovo AI, will be most technologically advanced in history. We are providing complete IT solutions, enhancing the delivery and experience of the tournament at every level. Football AI Pro will be a game-changer, and we can't wait to see it, as well as our other innovations developed with FIFA used at FIFA World Cup 2026.
