Qatar: AI-Powered FIFA World Cup 2022
Sensors and algorithms will be used to control every aspect of the 2022 World Cup, including the soccer balls and stadium temperatures.
Updated
On this page
Updated November 2026. This was first published on 6 December 2022. The idea is the same. Any number below is what the original piece said then. It is not a new count.
Key takeaways
- Sensors and algorithms will be used to control every aspect of the 2022 World Cup, including the soccer balls and stadium temperatures.
- During the event, Qatar established the Aspire Command and Control Center in the capital Doha to monitor crowds at the eight stadiums and the transportation system.
- Qatar, an Arab country, employs artificial intelligence (AI) to carefully monitor spectators at all eight stadiums that will stage the matches from November 20 to December 18, with over 1.5 million expected to attend the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Sensors and algorithms will be used to control every aspect of the 2022 World Cup, including the soccer balls and stadium temperatures. During the event, Qatar established the Aspire Command and Control Center in the capital Doha to monitor crowds at the eight stadiums and the transportation system.
The AI Touch in FIFA World Cup #
Qatar, an Arab country, employs artificial intelligence (AI) to carefully monitor spectators at all eight stadiums that will stage the matches from November 20 to December 18, with over 1.5 million expected to attend the FIFA World Cup 2022.
As the first Middle Eastern country to host the prestigious FIFA World Cup, Qatar is going above and beyond this time to ensure its success. For example, Enner Valencia gave Ecuador the lead in the first minute of the FIFA World Cup 2022 opener. This was between the host Qatar and Ecuador. the video assistant referee disallowed the goal because Valencia was offside (VAR). Valencia didn’t appear to be offside at first, leading many to believe that the referee had made a terrible error. But most spectators were astounded when they saw how VAR arrived at this judgment.
AI Cameras #
Given that more than 1.2 million fans are anticipated to visit the nation during the event, Qatar has established a tech hub that uses AI to forecast crowd size, keep track of spectators, and even control the stadium’s temperature. More than 15,000 cameras would be used by Qatari command and control centers to monitor people’s movements throughout the games, officials there told Agence France-Presse in August.
All eight stadiums will have cameras scattered around them. According to Al Jazeera, facial recognition technology will track supporters in the over 80,000-seat Lusail Stadium, where the championship game will be played. Also, algorithms will be used, according to news reports, to try and stop stampedes in the stadium, like the one that occurred at a soccer match in Indonesia last month and claimed more than 130 lives.
According to news sources, the command and control team can predict crowd patterns using algorithms that depend on various data points, including ticket sales and entry locations.
Semi-automated VAR #
VAR is not a brand-new technology. it has been used frequently in the UEFA Champions League and other top leagues in Europe. The earlier iteration of the competition staged in Russia also included VAR.
FIFA claims they have enhanced the VAR system for the past few years and developed a semi-automated VAR. The revolutionary technology uses artificial intelligence to construct 3D models of the player’s position in real time, allowing the referee to rule offside correctly by identifying which part of the player’s body is facing forward.
The technology was improved for this year’s games after being tested during the 2018 World Cup. According to FIFA officials, the system will depend on tracking cameras placed beneath stadium roofs to track the sensor-filled ball and up to 29 data points on each player’s body at a rate of 50 times per second.
An artificial intelligence system will supply data points tracking players’ limbs and the ball’s location, assisting referees in making precise decisions regarding penalties like who is offside. According to them, an automatic alarm will ping match officials in a video operation room, who will confirm the judgment before telling the referee.
Sensor Soccer Ball #
Motion sensors inside the Al Rihla official ball for the competition provide exact location data on the ball 500 times per second. Adidas, the company that manufactured the ball, claims that putting sensors inside the ball enables VAR to make more accurate judgments.
Al Rihla can add a crucial component for detecting close-offside situations since the ball contains an inertial measuring unit (IMU) sensor. The kick point can be identified with extreme precision thanks to a sensor placed in the center of the ball that transmits data to the video operation room 500 times per second, according to FIFA.
Before the big event, the sensor-filled ball was put through its paces at several soccer competitions, including the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup, according to Adidas. A data nerve center will receive information from the ball. will be used in all 64 games in the tournament, allowing officials to track statistics and keep an eye on game action.
Automatic Stadium Cooling #
The government is using an innovative cooling system. According to FIFA, it was created by Saud Abdulaziz Abdul Ghani, a Qatar professor known as “Dr. Cool.” The stadium’s pipes and vents bring air in, cool it, filter it, and then push it back out. According to game officials, it will create a fabulous bubble within the stadium where sensors will help control temperatures.
Stadiums will be kept between 64 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit using insulation and a technologically advanced technique called “spot cooling,” which enables cooling to occur only where people are.
Bottom Line #
The center’s specialists may manage the entry gates, ensure running water, and maintain the air conditioners’ flawless operation. Also, the 80,000 seats at Lusail Stadium, which is scheduled to host ten matches, including the championship game, would be zoomed in on by the crew using facial recognition technology, it was noted.
In coordination with Qatari and FIFA officials, the article added that cybersecurity, anti-terrorism, and transportation experts would be stationed at the center. Mission control will be able to monitor how each stadium is running before, throughout, and after the event, thanks to security cameras in every region of the stadium.
Questions and answers #
What is the main point? #
Sensors and algorithms will be used to control every aspect of the 2022 World Cup, including the soccer balls and stadium temperatures.
What else did the original piece say? #
During the event, Qatar established the Aspire Command and Control Center in the capital Doha to monitor crowds at the eight stadiums and the transportation system.