Football Technology at the World Cup 2022 – Game-Changing Innovations
The World Cup 2022 going to be hosted the first time in the Middle East. The FIFA world cup host country is Qatar and is expected to draw a lot of new football fans as well as create new opportunities in the football technology field. Whether you are a player, coach, referee or staff member, there are many opportunities for more technological innovations in the game of football.
The digital transformation has impacted the world cup in many ways. They have created a whole lot of new ways to watch the game and keep up with what is going on.
Let’s take a look on how artificial intelligence, real-time data, innovative ideas and more cutting-edge technology serves the football game and changing the fan experience:

Benefits of Semi-automated Offside Technology:
Soccer has always been a sport that is difficult to officiate because of the variety of offside calls. The game has seen a number of controversial offside decisions, such as the goal that sealed the victory for France in their 1998 FIFA World Cup final against Brazil. In an effort to increase fairness and accuracy, FIFA president Gianni Infantino is pushing for a new semi-automated technology for video assistant refereeing.
The goal of SAOT is to provide a better understanding of the rules and regulations in soccer. It will also help referees make faster and more accurate and faster decisions in real time tight situations, which will improve the game experience for players, coaches, and fans.
The offside line law has been changed to favour attackers by making it harder for defenders to play an offside trap. There are bespoke cameras that can athlete can track the ball in flight and measure its speed, trajectory, spin rate and other variables depending on what is being tracked
Goal-line Technology:
The goal line new system is a device that is used to detect the ball crossing the goal line. The first Goal Line technology system was developed by British company Hawk-Eye Innovations in 2001, but it was not approved for use in association football matches until 2012.
After years of dedicated research the new software will track the movement of football and players in the field. GLT can be used to measure accuracy and speed, in addition to the distance between the ball and goal line. FIFA has made it mandatory for all World Cup games.
Advanced FIFA Stadiums Cooling Tech:
In 2022, Qatar will be hosting the World Cup and they built a 12 stadiums in preparation for this event. One of these stadiums, Lusail Stadium, will be using an advanced cooling technology called evaporative cooling to keep the stadium’s high temperatures away, cool and comfortable for those who attend.
This new technology has been around for over 100 years but it has never been used on such a large scale before. It works by using water or mist sprayed into the air which cools down and humidifies the air around it. This creates a more comfortable environment inside while also saving energy costs because less air conditioning is needed to maintain a comfortable temperature.
Connected Ball Technology:
Al Rihla is a revolutionary ball that has been designed by Adidas to be used in the 2022 World Cup. This technology will collaborate with FIFA’s new Semi-automated offside decision technology to help decision-making process.
This ball is made of thermoplastic polyurethane and it weighs about 400 grams. It also has a 3D-printed design which makes it more aerodynamic, stable and durable than any other football in the world.
Bonocle: 2022 World Cup access to the visually-impaired:
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be accessible and enjoyable to even the visually-impaired audience. A revolutionary product known as Bonocle will convert digital content about the World Cup into braille, allowing for the blind to enjoy it just like everyone else.
VAR – Video Assistant Referee:
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is a system that is used in football and soccer matches to help referees make decisions. It can be used when the referee believes a player should have been given a red card, yellow card, or penalty. The VAR will review footage of the incident and advise the referee on what decision to make:
– To review an incident that has already happened
– To advise the referee on an incident that has already happened