The summer of 2026 is about to be remarkable, as it is hosting the world’s biggest international sports event. The World Cup 2026 has just started, and it is bringing many new things, from small island countries to peak AI technology.
From 32 to 48 Participating Teams
One of this World Cup’s biggest innovations is not technological, but organizational. For the first time ever, the tournament will host 48 teams, a 16-team increase compared to its last seven editions. This expansion recognises football’s global reach as the most popular sport in the world, giving more nations from Africa, Asia, Oceania, North America, and other emerging football regions the opportunity to qualify. For the first time, the national teams of Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan are having the chance to participate in a World Cup, uniting their populations and giving millions of fans the opportunity to finally see their country represented on football’s biggest stage.
Moreover, for the qualifying countries, World Cup participation often leads to more investment in sports, better youth academies, improved stadium and training facilities and increased media attention, encouraging better quality, competitiveness and talent development.
An Advanced Semi-Automated Offside Technology
Speaking, in turn, of technological innovations, one of the World Cup’s 2026 most significant updates regarding technology is its advanced Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT). Unlike the SAOT used at World Cup 2022, where information was sent to the video assistant referee (VAR), with the new system clear offsides are sent directly to the assistant referees on the pitch. It also incorporates 3D-scanned digital avatars of the players. This way, the referees arr able to instantly flag for positional offsides and take quicker and more accurate decisions.
Enhancing offside technology is extremely important, as the offside rule remains one of football’s most controversial characteristics. Determining automatically whether a player is on or offside can be particularly challenging, since it is necessary to address the exact time when the ball is kicked and the positions of several players. It is something very prone to human error, having caused, in the past, many disagreements and anger between fans questioning the fairness and accuracy of certain in-game decisions. Having a technological tool clarifying what’s complex to the human eye is definitely a significant step towards ensuring that every match is judged with greater consistency, transparency, and precision.
Enhanced Referee Body Cameras and a Ball With a Sensor
Besides the enhanced SAOT, the World Cup 2026 is also relying on enhanced referee body cameras and a sensor ball to make its matches as transparent and doubtless as possible.
Referee body cameras were first used last year, during the Club World Cup, and seem to be here to stay. In the meantime, Lenovo has improved these devices, reducing motion blur and enhancing image quality. Now, at the World Cup 2026, audiences worldwide have access to a first-person perspective of the matches, which helps reduce questions regarding several referee decisions – not just offsides, as aforementioned, but also penalty kicks, freekicks, corners, yellow cards and red cards. This time, fans can still get sad, but are less likely to get mad.
And there’s more. The official World Cup match ball itself can act as a lie detector. The Adidas Trionda incorporates Connected Ball Technology, using a 500Hz inertial measurement unit (IMU) motion sensor able to identify the exact moment when the ball is kicked. FIFA has already used a similar system during the World Cup 2022 but the technology has since been refined and further integrated into the tournament’s advanced detection systems.
Analytical Resources for the Teams
Another innovation making its debut at this year’s World Cup is the Football AI-Pro, a post-match AI assistant providing comprehensive football analysis. Developed in cooperation with Lenovo, this assistant offers analytical insights and report generation from official match data, as well as video sources and strategic recommendations. It centralizes the vast quantity of materials generated in football nowadays, filtering the most meaningful information for players and coaches and saving them time that can otherwise be used in sporting improvement.
Nevertheless, the main benefit of Football AI Pro is that it democratizes access to high-level football analytics. Traditionally, only the wealthiest national teams could afford teams of analysts and advanced data tools, creating an uneven playing field. By providing all 48 participating nations with access to the same AI-powered insights, FIFA is helping smaller and less-resourced teams make more informed tactical decisions, identify strengths and weaknesses more efficiently, and prepare for opponents using sophisticated analysis that would otherwise be out of reach.
* Beatriz Santos is the Chief Communications Officer (CCO) at We Are Innovation. She is based in Lisbon, Portugal. Beatriz started publishing articles through her University newspaper and eventually moved to national and international reach outlets, including the well known Portuguese outlets NOVO and Observador. Her professional career includes international communications experience with the ATREVIA agency and the European Parliament. She also has two published books and is an essential part of the Students For Liberty organization in Portugal. With a focus on positive change and global cooperation, Beatriz actively seeks partnerships across the globe to promote innovative initiatives.
Source: We Are Innovation
