The 2026 FIFA World Cup will showcase one of the most technologically advanced officiating systems ever deployed in sports. Building on existing video assistant referee (VAR) and semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) systems, FIFA is introducing a combination of computer vision, ball-tracking sensors, and digital twin technology to improve the accuracy of match decisions, tells Wired.com.
At the heart of the system is Hawk-Eye’s optical tracking platform, which uses 16 high-resolution cameras to continuously monitor players and capture more than two dozen skeletal data points for each athlete. This information is combined with data from sensors embedded inside the official match ball. Developed by Kinexon and integrated into an Adidas-designed ball, the sensor package includes ultrawide-band technology, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope. Together, these components track the ball’s position, movement, spin, and touches at a rate of 500 measurements per second.
One of the most significant advances is the introduction of player-specific digital twins. Before the tournament, every World Cup player underwent a high-resolution 360-degree body scan conducted by Lenovo. These scans create highly accurate digital replicas that reflect each athlete’s exact physical dimensions, including limb length and shoe size, with millimeter-level precision. The digital twins replace generic avatars previously used in officiating systems, allowing officials to determine player positions with greater accuracy during offside reviews and other contested situations.
The technology will support reviews of goals, penalty kicks, red-card incidents, and cases where referees penalize the wrong player. FIFA has also enhanced the system’s ability to provide immediate alerts for clear offside violations, reducing delays and minimizing interruptions to gameplay.
A particularly innovative feature is a 3D goalkeeper-view visualization that helps determine whether an offside player obstructed a goalkeeper’s line of sight. Although these technological advances may alter only a small number of calls during the tournament, FIFA believes that even marginal improvements in accuracy are worthwhile. The system reflects a broader trend in sports toward using advanced data, digital modeling, and real-time analytics to support fairer and more objective decision-making.