Digital Avatars, Ref Cams and AI: World Cup Tech Takes Center Stage

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is positioning itself as a major technology showcase, with AI, advanced computing, and immersive viewing tools improving both officiating and fan experience across venues in North America. In Dallas at AT&T Stadium, Lenovo—FIFA’s official technology partner—will help power broadcast infrastructure and officiating systems. A key feature is the use of 3D-scanned digital player avatars, created before the tournament and used in offside reviews to give officials and viewers a clearer view of key moments. Lenovo also plans stabilized “ref cams,” using an AI-powered stabilization system that it says reduces camera shake by up to 50 percent for a smoother first-person perspective during play. For analytics, Lenovo is behind FIFA AI Pro, a platform aimed at making advanced match data more accessible for teams and analysts, with Qualcomm contributing processing power and connectivity. The article frames these upgrades as setting a new standard for how games are watched and analyzed.