During the FIFA World Cup 2026™, FIFA will introduce AI-enabled 3D player avatars into match broadcasts. The 3D player avatars will feature during semi-automated offside technology replays. Built from individual body scans with very high precision, each avatar accurately captures the dimensions and proportions of the player, providing a further data source for player tracking and officiating decisions. Here’s how it works:
What exactly is Lenovo building for the FIFA World Cup 2026™?
Lenovo is delivering an end-to-end digital asset management solution for FIFA, which will cover scanning, quality verification, generation, and lifecycle management of 3D digital player models during the tournament.
In plain terms: players will be physically scanned ahead of the tournament to capture their precise dimensions. Lenovo’s technology will then create an individualized 3D avatar for each player. No two avatars are the same as no two players are the same.
Those avatars then become an additional valuable input to support the Video Assistant Referees (VARs) in their decision-making and communications during matches.
How does this change what fans see on TV?
The current VAR replays are generated using the player tracking data. The avatars will now allow the system not only to ingest the players’ exact measurements but will be able to show a visually matching image of the player due to the 3D scan. The output will therefore depict the player more accurately for fans watching in the stadium and around the globe.
Is Lenovo running VAR?
No. Lenovo’s technology provides an additional input into the existing VAR system managed by FIFA.
Lenovo’s role is to build and manage the 3D player models from the initial scans to the finished avatars that appear on broadcast. The scanning, the quality checks, the asset management: that’s what Lenovo owns in this process.
How will the player dimensions & likeness be captured?
This will involve producing 3D avatars of the players featured at the tournament using 3D assets and Advanced GenAI technology. The player will enter the 3D scanner for approximately 30 seconds, including preparation time, though the actual capture takes less than a second. A 3D reconstruction is then created of the individual player, followed by the application of texture and volume segmentation to the raw mesh avatar.
Has this been tested?
Yes. The 3D player avatar technology was successfully tested at last year’s FIFA Intercontinental Cup™ staged in Qatar. In Doha, CR Flamengo and Pyramids FC players were scanned ahead of their FIFA Challenger Cup™ showdown. The system was then trialled throughout the match, demonstrating its capability and readiness to support match officials in North America throughout June and July 2026.
When will the player dimensions & likeness be captured?
The scanning of the players will take place before the start of the tournament.
