ZURICH: – The FIFA Club World Cup will see a range of innovations introduced that will make the tournament even more entertaining and engaging for fans, while streamlining operations and boosting transparency.
Following The International Football Association Board’s approval, referees will wear body cameras at the competition, and the footage will be used by FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Exclusive Global Broadcaster DAZN as part of live match broadcasts during the tournament.
One of the main goals of this test is to explore whether the new camera angle can improve the experience for those watching on television and online by showcasing the referee’s perspective. Furthermore, FIFA will use the findings from the tournament to create guidelines for the use of such cameras in football.
Besides broadcast developments, fans following the action at the stadiums will now also benefit from seeing exactly what the referee views on the monitor in the referee review area during on-field reviews. The footage will be displayed live on the giant screens, which will make it easier for fans to understand the decision-making process and enhance transparency.
Following successful trials at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2024 and a number of FIFA’s youth tournaments, an advanced version of semi-automated offside technology will be in place at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, with the aim of making the decision-making process for offside situations as fast as possible.
Utilising multiple cameras, a sensor inside the ball and artificial intelligence, the system tracks players’ positions and the ball, providing automated, real-time alerts to match officials in the event of clear offsides. However, for challenging offside scenarios, the video assistant referee will still validate the information provided by the system before the decision is taken.
For the first time at a major tournament, FIFA will use algorithms developed by Football Technology Centre AG, its joint venture with Hawk-Eye Innovations Ltd, to automatically collect the majority of live event data based on the available tracking data.
“FIFA has a proud history of breaking new ground at its elite tournaments, and the FIFA Club World Cup will continue that trend. With the best clubs competing for the title of world champions, it is fitting that these trailblazing innovations will be on display at such a prestigious tournament,” said FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström. “FIFA is always looking to improve football, and these enhancements will enable a better experience for fans, a smoother operation and an optimised set-up for refereeing decisions,” he added.
Pierluigi Collina, the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, said: “I’m sure that, for all 117 match officials selected for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, being among those who are participating in the competition the first time ever is something very exciting, because they will be part of football history. These innovations demonstrate FIFA’s commitment to using technology and improving the overall football experience, with a particular emphasis on enhancing the transparency and understanding of refereeing decisions.”
