FIFA is often accused of prioritising commercial interests over the good of the game, but its latest AI‑focused announcement suggests that’s not always the case.
FIFA and technology partner Lenovo have revealed a suite of AI-powered initiatives designed to support match officials, provide equal access to performance analysis for all competing teams, and enhance the experience for fans.
On January 7, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Lenovo Chairman and CEO Yuanqing Yang took to the stage at Lenovo Tech World 2026, held at the Sphere in Las Vegas, for a presentation discussing how AI can improve football’s biggest tournament.
The group of innovations, collectively branded “Football AI”, includes Football AI Pro, AI-enabled 3D player avatars and an upgraded version of Referee View. These innovations aim to improve officiating, performance analysis and broadcasts ahead of the expanded 48-team World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the US later this year.
Football AI Pro is a generative AI knowledge assistant developed to support all participating teams. Powered by Lenovo’s and built on FIFA’s Football Language model, the tool analyses hundreds of millions of FIFA-owned data points to generate insights in text, video, graphs and 3D visualisations.
The product can be used before and after matches, but not during live play. FIFA has emphasised the tool will level the playing field by helping teams access technology regardless of financial resources.
“With Football AI Pro, we will democratise access to data by providing the most complete set of football analytics to all competing teams and soon to fans as well,” said Infantino at the event.
Officiating technology also featured prominently, with AI-enabled 3D player avatars being seen as the next step in enhancing semi-automated offside technology. Players are digitally scanned to create 3D models which are said to improve tracking, as well as allow decisions to be visualised more clearly for viewers.
The third and final product part of the suite was a new iteration of Referee View, using AI-powered stabilisation software to smooth footage captured from the referee’s camera in real time.
FIFA and Lenovo say this will address a common criticism of the initiative, which has been trialled in domestic leagues including the Premier League, where shaky footage is common and has even left some viewers uneasy.
Insider Sport has contacted Lenovo for comment on the Football AI platform.
Realising football’s potential with AI
AI is used in everyday business, whether it is boosting productivity or even combating fraud, and sport has often been at the forefront of adopting emerging technologies. Football in particular has leaned heavily into data, which is a fundamental pillar of AI.
Liverpool FC recently told Insider Sport how it uses AI in partnership with technology provider Wasabi to tag and archive decades of content. This allows the Premier League club to reach new levels of global fan engagement, allowing regional teams to create content tailored to local audiences.
Last season alone, Liverpool generated 1.7 billion social engagements and 13 billion video views, becoming one of the most engaged clubs in world football.
However, as Wasabi CMO Michael Welts told Insider Sport, AI remains in its infancy. While the technology has proven effective at organising and surfacing content, the challenge now is monetising those archives.
FIFA doesn’t only view football commercially?
Welts’ question is a fair one. Football clubs and governing bodies face a lot of pressure to generate revenue which in an ideal world can be reinvested on the pitch. Supporters largely understand this, but there is a fine line between commercial innovation and exploiting fan loyalty.
That line has been tested repeatedly in the build up to the 2026 World Cup. The expanded tournament, spread across three countries and featuring 48 teams, was always expected to carry a strong commercial imprint, particularly given the influence of the US market.
FIFA’s decision to introduce a Super Bowl-style half-time show at the final was widely seen as confirmation of the direction, but could also be viewed as the tournament embracing the culture of one of the host countries.
However, the expensive ticket prices, which may also just be FIFA trying to Americanise the tournament, has been very controversial. FIFA introduced dynamic pricing for the first time, with Category One ticket prices rising for 80 of the tournament’s 104 matches. Some group-stage games are now priced as high as $700, while a Category One ticket for the final at MetLife Stadium is listed at $8,680.
“Football Supporters Europe is astonished by the extortionate ticket prices imposed by FIFA on the most dedicated supporters,” the group said, calling the approach a “monumental betrayal”.
Insider Sport has approached FIFA for comment.
