Tech Innovations to Take Centre Stage at Club World Cup

The upcoming Club World Cup in the United States will feature groundbreaking innovations such as referees wearing body cameras and a new advanced offside detection system. These technological advancements aim to enhance decision-making processes and will be extensively tested during this expanded 32-team tournament.

This year's Club World Cup, taking place in the United States, will showcase pioneering advancements, including referees equipped with body cameras and a state-of-the-art offside detection system, FIFA announced on Friday.

Marking a first for FIFA tournaments, match officials will don body cameras, offering live footage to audiences worldwide. Accompanying this is an upgraded semi-automated offside technology, which leverages Artificial Intelligence, multiple cameras, and ball sensors for quicker decision-making while preserving the VAR's authority on marginal calls.

Despite these innovations, the video assistant referee will continue to verify challenging offside scenarios before finalizing decisions. The expanded tournament, featuring 32 teams, will serve as a significant testing platform for these systems, according to FIFA.

(With inputs from agencies.)