2026 FIFA World Cup Becoming a Proving Ground for Top Tech Companies
Last Updated on 1 July 2026
Technology has gradually made its way into the very simple sport of football on the biggest stage essentially since Frank Lampard’s ghost goal against Germany in 2010. After that, in came goal-line technology and then video assistant referees. Yet, there’s much more tech in play and on show for the 2026 World Cup.
We see many advances being used on the field, from much faster VAR to wearable cameras on referees. However, the use of tech – particularly newer tech – across and around the event goes far beyond cameras and rule checks. Given how fans engage with the tournament, there’s certainly a visible demand to utilize more tech.
Digital Options Taking Prominence
The last World Cup looks to begin a turning point for the tournament. In 2022, with Qatar as hosts in a novel winter event, there were reported 2.9 billion fans viewing it on linear TV. However, digital and streaming had amassed an audience of 2.7 billion. On top of this, FIFA Platforms held 211.8 million unique users.
The 2026 World Cup in North America might just see digital viewership surpass linear TV. Even one of the biggest digital viewing platforms in the world has tried to get in on World Cup fever. Netflix put out an official game on its platform. However, it’s incredibly lackluster and doesn’t fill the hole left by FIFA’s former partner in this area.
Officially licensed ways to play along with the 2026 World Cup don’t go much further than that, unfortunately. With soccer being all the rage right now, though, other forms of entertainment have stepped up. Those playing slingo have found that Slingoooal! Shootout landed very well.
The soccer-themed hybrid online game released just in time for the World Cup and now sits among the most popular of the games, which includes Slingo Mine Frenzy and Slingo Thunder of the Gods. Streaming platforms have also stuck to more conventional tie-ins, with ultra-high definition docu-series based on previous World Cups.
Huge Step Up in AI Applications
As one of the chief partners of FIFA for the 2026 World Cup, Lenovo has crafted and supplied the tournament with a specialized artificial intelligence program. FIFA AI Pro combines football-specific intelligence with generative AI. Every team at the tournament can use it to analyze teams, explore match data, and use 3D visualizations.
Across the tournament, FIFA is said to be recording some 150 million data points in each match. The official match ball is even loaded up with sensors to record around 500 movements per second in the form of Inertial Measurement Units. Ultimately, the delivery of this AI agent to all teams is to help level the playing field.
Hyundai is also using the biggest stage in world sport to showcase its further expansion into the world of high tech. Not content with being a car manufacturer and supplying vehicles to the 2026 World Cup, Hyundai has also been walking around its autonomous dog robots from Boston Dynamics.
Tech has engulfed the FIFA World Cup, and if the trends of previous editions continue, the 2026 tournament could just be a sign of much more tech infusion to come in 2030.