Las Vegas, Jan 6 (EFE).-
Fans attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup — as well as those watching from home or on the go — will be able to enjoy more immersive and personalized match experiences powered by artificial intelligence, FIFA and its technology partner Lenovo announced Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
FIFA President Gianni Infantino joined Lenovo Chairman and CEO Yuanqing Yang on stage at the Sphere in Las Vegas to showcase customized AI solutions designed not only to enhance the fan experience but also to support tournament operations for the summer event co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The new experience will be delivered through Football AI Pro, an AI assistant intended to “democratize” access to data, providing “the most complete set of football analytics” to the 48 competing teams and to fans, Infantino said.
Infantino said that fans will be able to access the same imagery viewed by referees at key decision moments during matches.
Thanks to the new technology, “stabilized new images will make the viewing experience absolutely unique, as if you were in the center of the field next to the players,” Infantino said.
The technology developed by Lenovo — the world’s largest PC maker by units sold — will also feature AI-generated 3D player avatars, to be used for critical moments such as offsides, helping referees make decisions.
“We will introduce precise player identification and tracking, which is a major advantage for our semi-automated offside technology. This results in excellent visuals, faster referee decisions and a clear understanding for everyone,” Infantino said.
Lenovo Chief Information Officer Art Hu explained that the creation of the avatars will take into account each player’s exact dimensions to generate more realistic versions.
Lenovo will also provide resilient infrastructure and hardware to support FIFA and its VAR technology provider, Hawk-Eye Innovations, during the tournament, building on a successful implementation at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
In October, FIFA announced that the Chinese company would be its technology partner for the World Cup after tests allowed football icons such as Ronaldo and David Beckham to use the technology to access real-time match data and analytics, as well as controllable replays of key moments.
Lenovo will also be FIFA’s technology partner for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
A special edition Motorola RAZR phone and one of Lenovo’s new laptops were also unveiled at Tuesday’s presentation. EFE
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