AI's World Cup debut: Real-time data set to reshape football

Dallas Stadium in Texas, one of the stadiums for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, is seen with lights illuminating the field to promote grass growth, Thursday. AFP-Yonhap

HONG KONG — Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to make its World Cup debut in 2026, as football’s most-watched tournament turns to real-time data models and live 3D simulations to reshape match strategy and event operations.

Each team will have access to its own AI model, allowing analysts to compare playing patterns through video clips and 3D avatars. Coaches will be able to assess how tactical changes might work against their next opponents, while players will receive personalized match analysis, according to Lenovo, which co-developed football AI with FIFA, and Bank of America (BofA).

The system, known as “Football AI Pro,” can analyze hundreds of millions of FIFA data points and process more than 2,000 football-related metrics, including pressing, movement, tactics and transitions. It delivers insights as text explanations, charts or short video clips.

“If in the past, rich teams had an advantage; in 2026, AI will democratize data and give everyone a similar chance,” BofA Global Research wrote in a May 6 note.

Jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States across 16 cities, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature an expanded format of 48 teams and 104 matches. The opening game is scheduled for June 11.

At the mega-event, players will also be digitally scanned in about one second to create accurate 3D versions of their bodies. The technology is expected to make offside decisions more accurately and easier to explain, giving referees better information and helping fans better understand video assistant referee calls.

Each of the 16 stadiums will have a “digital twin,” or a live virtual copy of the venue. Officials will be able to use the system to monitor crowd movement, security risks and player health data from wearable devices in real time.

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. Including social media posts, selfies, mobile interactions and other digital activity, the total could reach unprecedented levels. BofA expects data volumes to reach a record 2 exabytes, roughly equivalent to 45,000 years of 4K video.

“The 2026 World Cup is the first tournament where the data itself is a primary product,” the BofA research team said. “We’re watching a massive, real-time simulation where the physical world is being mirrored by data into data at a rate of several petabytes per week.”

Beyond stadium technology, the tournament is also expected to feature one of the most visible deployments of autonomous vehicles to date. Seven companies are expected to operate robotaxis across 10 host cities, potentially making self-driving ride-hailing available for some match-day journeys. Waymo is set to have the largest presence, with public rides planned in seven host cities and testing in three others.

Humanoid and legged robots are also expected to be deployed. Hyundai Motor Group is set to use Boston Dynamics’ Atlas and Spot robots across several U.S. host cities to support stadium operations, logistics and fan engagement. Mexico plans to deploy robot dogs for stadium security and first-response duties.

The World Cup deployment comes as analysts expect AI adoption in sports to accelerate, even though its use remains at an early stage.

The Oakland Ballers recently became the first professional baseball team to use AI to support most game management decisions, including setting lineups and making in-game substitutions. Norway’s HamKam FC ran a similar experiment with an AI head coach. In the NFL, coaches receive automatically filtered footage of relevant plays based on live game situations, such as down, distance and field position.

“The goal isn’t to replace the roar of the crowd or the instincts of a great coach. It’s to refocus people on what they do best: inspire, lead and connect,” PwC wrote in its January note. “Far from destroying the magic of sports, AI can add to it.”