FIFA will digitally scan all 1,248 players at the tournament to create personalised 3D avatars for semi-automated offside technology. 1 Scans take one second per player. The system was tested at the Intercontinental Cup in December 2025, with Lenovo providing the hardware and Hawk-Eye Innovations delivering the VAR system. No federation has publicly raised questions about player data consent.
5JUN
FIFA scans 1,248 players for 3D offside
1 min read
08:45UTC
Every player at the tournament will be digitally modelled in one second. No federation has asked about data consent.
SportDeveloping
Key takeaway
FIFA will 3D-scan every player for automated offside calls, with no federation publicly raising data consent questions.
Deep Analysis
In plain English
To make offside decisions faster and more accurate, FIFA will create a digital 3D model of every player at the tournament. Each player stands in a scanner for one second before the tournament; the system then uses that model to automatically judge offside calls during matches. The technology itself sounds impressive and solves a genuine problem (slow, disputed VAR offside calls). The question nobody seems to be asking publicly: who owns these 3D body scans of over 1,200 players, and what can be done with them after the tournament?
What could happen next?
- Risk
No public consent framework means players' 3D biometric data could be retained, licenced or used commercially by FIFA or Lenovo after the tournament.
Post-2026 · Medium - Precedent
Mass biometric scanning of athletes as a condition of tournament participation sets a template that other sports bodies will consider adopting.
2027 onwards · High - Opportunity
Accurate semi-automated offside could reduce match stoppages and disputes, improving the viewing experience for the 48-team expanded format's larger fixture volume.
June-July 2026 · High
Sources:AI News / Lenovo
Mentions:FIFA →
First Reported In
Update #3 · USA beaten 5-2 at World Cup host venue
AI News / Lenovo· 29 Mar 2026
Read original →Causes and effects
This Event
FIFA scans 1,248 players for 3D offside
The most radical officiating technology deployment in World Cup history will model every player's body in 3D for real-time offside calls, with no public discussion of player data consent.
Different Perspectives
France (FFF)
Manager Didier Deschamps confirmed William Saliba will play, reversing the 'very doubtful' briefing from earlier in the week and deferring any surgery until after the tournament. France recovers its first-choice central defender for the group stage at a point when rivals were adjusting their tactical assessments.
Canada Soccer
Canada must submit its Flores replacement to FIFA before the 11 June 3pm ET deadline; Austin FC's Jayden Nelson is the favoured choice after Flores ruptured his ACL. Canada's Toronto opening ceremony on 12 June will feature Palestinian singer Elyanna, a booking that sets a political tone for the co-host's public face at the tournament.
Mexico (co-host)
Mexico certified Iranian visas and confirmed the Tijuana base camp on 3 June, acting as operational host for a team the northern co-host has not cleared. Guadalajara's Estadio Banorte still has no FIFA clearance after concrete fell from seats in Liga MX matches.
FIFA
FIFA's Ethics Committee has taken no action on the Infantino complaint in six months, and FIFA has answered neither the NY/NJ subpoena nor the EU Article 102 filing. It approved Iran's Tijuana base camp but cannot issue a US visa; Infantino's April guarantee that Iran 'will be at the World Cup' was a commitment against authority he does not hold.
Norwegian Football Federation
NFF president Lise Klaveness submitted a letter of support for FairSquare's Article 15 complaint before 2 June, writing 'we are sending this letter alone' in a deliberate signal that the move was unilateral rather than coordinated. Norway's backing gives other federations a template for post-tournament solidarity without requiring them to act before kickoff.
US State Department
Rubio restated on 3 June that IRGC-linked individuals will not embed in the delegation; waiver authority sits with the Secretary himself, not consulates, which is why Taremi's 2010-2012 service can hold the whole squad without a formal denial. The same government withholding entry from Iran is spending $1.47bn to protect the tournament.