Qatar becomes FIFA’s test site for new football technology

Qatar has become FIFA’s testing ground for sporting innovations, including connected match balls, AI-powered player tracking and referee body cameras, before their rollout at global soccer tournaments.

Behind the scenes, stadiums in the country now function as live laboratories where new officiating and broadcast technologies are trialed under real match conditions, Wired reports.

The systems are designed to answer some of football’s oldest debates, including whether the ball crossed the line, went out of play, or a player was offside, more quickly and accurately than ever before.

Since 2021, and especially through events like the FIFA Arab Cup, Qatar has repeatedly hosted early-stage deployments of FIFA’s most advanced tools before they reach the global stage.