The 2026 World Cup is the first tournament to deploy semi-automated offside technology, using a dozen cameras and machine-learned limb tracking to make offside calls in under 25 seconds — faster and more consistent than any human assistant referee, FIFA claims.

Canadian assistant referee Micheal Barwegen, part of the first all-Canadian officiating team in men's World Cup history, told The Guardian the system "makes his job easier in some ways." Barwegen previously tested the technology at the Club World Cup, where Botafogo faced Paris Saint-Germain.

FIFA is also rolling out Football AI Pro, a tactical analysis system that provides detailed match data to all 48 participating teams — the first time such tools have been available universally rather than only to wealthier federations. FIFA says the system will "democratise football analysis" and level the playing field for smaller nations.

The innovations extend to improved referee body camera stabilization and expanded media analytics, part of what FIFA describes as the most technologically advanced World Cup to date.

Sources: The Guardian, FIFA