The Future is Automated: Inside FIFA’s New Era of Football Tech

In this Leaders Week session, FIFA and Sony (Hawk-Eye) unpack how football tech has evolved from the 2010 “ghost goal” to semi-automated offside — and what’s next. They reveal how instant AR flags sped up decisions at the Club World Cup, the five-step testing pipeline with top universities, and why “democratising” elite tools for lower-budget leagues matters.

From AI-driven event data to biomechanical tracking that can reduce injuries, this is a clear roadmap for making football fairer, faster, and more engaging.

0:06 — Intro & trigger warning: rewind to 2010
0:27 — The “ghost goal” clip and crowd reaction
1:30 — “How do we stop that happening again?”
2:06 — Why FIFA × Sony (Hawk-Eye): the joint venture
3:58 — Tech’s role in sport: fairer, faster, safer
7:06 — Club World Cup trial: semi-automated offside → instant AR flags
8:58 — Balancing speed, accuracy and fan experience
11:16 — Roadmap: from semi- to fully automated offside
13:14 — The 5-step testing pipeline (MIT, Loughborough, etc.)
15:52 — Bringing fans/refs/players into adoption
16:46 — Democratising tools for lower-budget leagues
17:56 — Sony’s tiered solutions (FVS, phone/GoPro tracking)
19:57 — Biomechanics data to reduce injuries
25:22 — Automating event data with AI (ops efficiency)
26:16 — Closing & wrap-up