Fifa and Lenovo are using the 2026 World Cup as a proving ground for enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) by rolling out an AI-powered knowledge assistant designed to give every competing team access to elite-level performance analytics.
Built on Lenovo’s AI Factory, the Football AI Pro functions as a specialised enterprise knowledge assistant for football. It orchestrates multiple AI agents to scan millions of data points, analyse more than 2,000 performance metrics and deliver real-time tactical insights to coaches, analysts and players across all teams at the tournament.
For analysts, the platform enables pattern comparisons using video clips and 3D avatars that visualise data in real time. Coaches can test how tactical changes may play out against specific opponents, while players receive personalised match analysis. The tool is designed to respond instantly to football-related queries, producing data-validated insights with rich visual context in seconds.
The platform has been developed by Lenovo’s AI architects working alongside Fifa’s technical experts and is based on Lenovo’s enterprise knowledge assistant architecture. It is designed to operate in hybrid AI environments, prioritising security, privacy and scalability, while lowering the cost and complexity typically associated with advanced analytics.
“Fifa is one of the world’s most data-rich sports organisations in the world. Their football data spans team rosters, tracking data, player performance, team statistics, match highlights, tactical analysis and historic trends — encompassing petabytes of data in total. Mining and making sense of it all is a huge challenge,” says Ken Wong, Lenovo’s executive vice president and president of its Solutions & Services Group.
He continues: “Football AI Pro addresses that need. It is a customised enterprise knowledge assistant that orchestrates a team of intelligent agents to search Fifa’s data and surface the right information — fast.”
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As the tournament expands to 48 teams across three countries for the first time, at least four debutantes, including Curaçao and Cabo Verde, are expected to qualify. Football AI Pro will be made available to all participating teams, aligning with Fifa’s goal of narrowing competitive gaps between traditional powerhouses and smaller nations.
“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,” says Fifa President Gianni Infantino.
Officiating, operations and broadcast get a dose of AI too
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The partnership extends beyond team performance into officiating, broadcasting and tournament operations, effectively turning the World Cup into a large-scale test of AI-enabled infrastructure.
One of the most visible changes will be the introduction of AI-generated digital avatars into officiating technology and broadcasts. Using advanced generative AI and 3D assets, FIFA and Lenovo are producing player-specific avatars that replicate individual physical dimensions. These will be used in 3D animations, particularly during offside replays, to provide clearer visual context for both match officials and fans.
“We are working with Fifa to create the next generation of AI-enabled 3D avatars, so that the world’s greatest players are represented as realistically and accurately as possible. No two footballers are the same, with the same physique or dimensions. Therefore, each player’s exact dimensions will be taken into account,” says Art Hu, Lenovo’s chief information officer and chief technology and delivery officer for its Solutions and Services Group.
The technology was successfully trialled at the Fifa Intercontinental Cup in Qatar in December. Fifa Secretary General Mattias Grafström says the system “strengthens confidence in key decisions and brings fans closer to the process than ever before.”
Operationally, Lenovo’s AI systems will also be embedded into the running of the tournament itself. With more teams, more matches and venues spread across three countries, Fifa will deploy an AI-powered Intelligent Command Centre to monitor operations in real time and generate daily summaries across all functional areas.
Lenovo technologies, including digital twins of venues, will be used to monitor activity in and around stadiums to support operational decisions during the tournament. Meanwhile, AI-driven wayfinding tools will connect cities, fan zones and venues, providing real-time navigation and venue intelligence to help manage crowd flows across the tournament footprint.
Broadcast innovation will include the return of referee body cameras, first trialled at the Fifa Club World Cup 2025. At the 2026 tournament, Lenovo’s AI-driven stabilisation overlay will be added to improve picture quality, offering clearer footage for match officials and additional viewing streams for broadcasters and fans.
“The clearer, steadier footage achieved through the new generation of Referee View can support match officials in critical moments, while giving fans a sharper, more immersive view of the game from the referee’s perspective,” adds Grafström.
