FIFA is exploring advanced refereeing technologies, including body cameras and improved offside alerts, for the 2026 World Cup. These innovations build on successful trials from this year's Club World Cup in the United States. Officials emphasize balancing technological improvements with the sport's traditions.
FIFA officials have outlined plans to introduce new refereeing tools at the 2026 World Cup, drawing from recent experiments at the Club World Cup held in the United States. Johannes Holzmueller, FIFA's director of innovation, highlighted the potential expansion of referee body cameras, tested successfully during the tournament. The system, known as 'referee with you,' provides live footage from the referee's viewpoint directly to television broadcasts and stadium screens, offering fans clearer insights into decisions.
"We want to build on the success of the FIFA Club World Cup this year in the U.S., where we trialed the referee body camera very successfully," Holzmueller stated during a panel discussion on Thursday. He noted that implementing these changes requires approval from the International Football Association Board (IFAB) at its February meeting in Wales.
Additionally, FIFA advanced semi-automated offside technology at the Club World Cup by routing positional offside alerts straight to assistant referees via audio, minimizing delays. "For positional offside, the information was sent via an audio alert directly to the assistant referee, and they could raise the flag," Holzmueller explained. "So we had virtually no additional delay for positional offside."
Holzmueller argued that such technologies restore the game's natural flow without altering its essence. "For us, it's always a balance between what we can improve and what is the tradition of our sport," he said. "Technology can help support referees, coaches, medical staff and fans without changing the game."
Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, discussed recent IFAB adjustments to goalkeeper ball possession rules, announced last March. These allow keepers two extra seconds but enforce strict eight-second limits after observing some holding the ball for up to 25 seconds. "We gave goalkeepers two seconds more," Collina said. "But they have to be 100% sure that once the eight seconds are finished, the referee will intervene."
Collina reflected on the evolution of officiating, describing current support levels as 'night and day' compared to his own World Cup experiences.
