VAR And Refereeing

The 2026 World Cup is being framed as more than a sporting tournament. It is also becoming a showcase for how far AI and digital systems have moved into top-level football. FIFA has introduced a new layer of technology designed to sharpen officiating, deepen match analysis, and change how fans experience the game. The result is a tournament that promises greater accuracy, but also raises an old question about whether football loses some of its human unpredictability along the way. Technology now shapes the biggest decisions Among the most visible changes are Advanced Semi-Automated Offside Technology, Football AI Pro for pre- and post-match analysis, 3D player avatars powered by AI, connected ball technology, and optical tracking systems for players and the ball. These tools are meant to support decisions in real time and provide more complete data around every match. In a tournament where one call can alter a team's fate, FIFA appears focused on making outcomes more transparent and easier to verify. Technology Main Function Role in the Tournament Advanced Semi-Automated Offside Technology Assists offside decisions Supports match officials with greater accuracy Football AI Pro Pre- and post-match analysis Expands tactical and statistical review 3D player avatars powered by AI Digital representation of players Enhances analysis and presentation Connected ball technology Tracks ball data Helps confirm key moments in play Optical tracking systems Tracks players and the ball Provides detailed movement data Wasit still decides the final call Despite the growing digital layer, the final decision remains with the referee. That distinction matters because the technology is intended as assistance, not a replacement for the human official on the pitch. This is also where the debate becomes sharper. Some see the shift as a necessary correction for a sport where one mistake can trigger years of argument, while others worry that football's romance is tied to the very imperfections technology is now designed to remove. Football history is full of disputes that still shape how fans remember major matches. Diego Maradona's “Hand of God” goal against England at the 1986 World Cup and Geoff Hurst's goal in the 1966 final remain among the most frequently cited examples. Yet the case for technology is not only about erasing controversy. As observer and Sport77 podcast host Riphan Pradipta noted, the sport has already entered a period where tech and AI can no longer be held back, and accuracy has become a central need in modern football. Why supporters may still feel every emotion Riphan argued that the effect of a single decision is now too large, not just for players and coaches but also for millions of supporters. In that context, tools that clarify incidents on the field are a logical response to the scale of modern football. Arnan Parulian Binafsihi, deputy chair of Oranje Indonesia, offered a similar view, saying the use of technology is positive, especially when it reduces mistakes that harm one side unfairly. He stressed that football must adapt to the needs and development of the era. The emotional side of the game, however, is unlikely to disappear. Penalty tension, missed chances, frustration over refereeing calls, and the pressure of each attack still define how fans experience the match. According to Arnan, technology will not erase supporter emotion because football remains rooted in momentum, fear, hope, and argument. What changes is not the feeling itself, but the degree to which those feelings are shaped by more accurate decisions. A useful mirror for Indonesian football For Indonesian football, the 2026 World Cup also functions as a reference point. Discussions about VAR and the quality of refereeing have already been part of public debate in recent years, making this tournament especially relevant at home. The broader direction is clear: football is not becoming a game run entirely by machines. Instead, it is moving toward a balance between human intuition and more precise data, images, and tracking systems. That balance is what makes the 2026 World Cup such a significant test case. It shows a sport trying to protect fairness without fully letting go of the human drama that made it compelling in the first place.

AI Takes Center Stage at the 2026 World Cup, Fairer Football or Less Romance?