FIFA approves referees' body cameras at Club World Cup 2025
7 June 2025 00:43
ZURICH (WAM)The FIFA Club World Cup will see a range of innovations introduced that will make the tournament even more entertaining and engaging for fans while streamlining operations and boosting transparency.
Following The International Football Association Board's approval, referees will wear body cameras at the competition, and the footage will be used by FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Exclusive Global Broadcaster DAZN as part of live match broadcasts during the tournament.
One of the main goals of this test is to explore whether the new camera angle can improve the experience for those watching television and online by showcasing the referee's perspective. Furthermore, FIFA will use the findings from the tournament to create guidelines for the use of such cameras in football.
In addition to broadcast developments, fans following the action at the stadiums will now also benefit from seeing exactly what the referee views on the monitor in the referee review area during on-field reviews. The footage will be displayed live on the giant screens, making it easier for fans to understand the decision-making process and enhancing transparency.
Following successful trials at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2024 and several FIFA youth tournaments, an advanced version of semi-automated offside technology will be in place at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, with the aim of making the decision-making process for offside situations as fast as possible.
Utilising multiple cameras, a sensor inside the ball and artificial intelligence, the system tracks players' positions and the ball, providing automated, real-time alerts to match officials in the event of clear offsides. However, for challenging offside scenarios, the video assistant referee will still validate the information provided by the system before the decision is taken.
For the first time at a major tournament, FIFA will use algorithms developed by Football Technology Centre AG, its joint venture with Hawk-Eye Innovations Ltd, to automatically collect the majority of live event data based on the available tracking data.
'FIFA has a proud history of breaking new ground at its elite tournaments, and the FIFA Club World Cup will continue that trend. With the best clubs competing for the title of world champions, it is fitting that these trailblazing innovations will be on display at such a prestigious tournament,' said FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström. 'FIFA is always looking to improve football, and these enhancements will enable a better experience for fans, a smoother operation and an optimised set-up for refereeing decisions,' he added.
Pierluigi Collina, the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, said: 'I'm sure that, for all 117 match officials selected for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, being among those who are participating in the competition the first time is something very exciting because they will be part of football history. These innovations demonstrate FIFA's commitment to using technology and improving the overall football experience, with a particular emphasis on enhancing the transparency and understanding of refereeing decisions.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Club World Cup: Yildiz shines for Juve as Real ask Fifa to investigate alleged racial abuse of Rudiger
Kenan Yildiz continued his breakout campaign with a starring performance as Juventus overwhelmed Wydad Casablanca 4-1 at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, taking a major step towards qualification for the knockout stages of the Fifa Club World Cup. The 20-year-old Turkish international was at the heart of everything positive for the Serie A giants, scoring twice and playing a key role in Juve's early opener, which was credited as an own goal by Wydad defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil. Yildiz, already among the scorers in Juve's emphatic 5-0 win over Al Ain earlier in the week, now has three goals in two games at the tournament and 12 in all competitions this season. "I'm happy. It was not easy. It was hot, but it was a good win. At the end our quality came out," said Juventus coach Igor Tudor. 'Kenan has great potential. He has a lot of skills, but more important than skills is his brain. That is the key. A wonderful player, so there is a big future in front of him.' Juventus now sit top of Group G with six points from two matches and have racked up nine goals in the process. Their place in the last 16 was confirmed after Manchester City beat Al Ain in the other group game. In contrast, Moroccan side Wydad's hopes are over following back-to-back defeats, having lost 2-0 to City in their opening fixture. Backed by a crowd of 31,975, Juventus wasted little time asserting their dominance. The breakthrough came inside six minutes when Yildiz's low drive, after being teed up by Khephren Thuram, took a slight deflection off Boutouil and nestled into the net. There was nothing fortunate about the second. In the 16th minute, Andrea Cambiaso drove forward down the left and found Yildiz just outside the box. The winger met it with a sweetly struck half-volley that soared into the top corner – a goal of the highest quality. Wydad, third in Morocco's top flight last season, briefly threatened a comeback. Nordin Amrabat's incisive pass released Thembinkosi Lorch, and the South African winger coolly lifted the ball past Mattia Perin to reduce the deficit before half time. However, Juve remained in control. Cambiaso struck the post, and Randal Kolo Muani squandered a golden opportunity after fine work from Lloyd Kelly down the left. Yildiz restored Juve's two-goal cushion midway through the second half, combining neatly with Kolo Muani before slotting confidently into the far corner. He departed to a standing ovation shortly after. Dusan Vlahovic, introduced from the bench, added gloss to the scoreline in added time, converting from the spot after being felled by Wydad's Guilherme Ferreira. Juventus now turn their attention to a top-of-the-group showdown with Manchester City in Orlando on Thursday. Fifa to investigate Rudiger abuse Antonio Rudiger was allegedly racially abused during Real Madrid's Club World Cup victory over Mexican side Pachuca on Sunday, manager Xabi Alonso said. Alonso confirmed a complaint had been made after an incident towards the end of the Spanish giants' 3-1 victory in Charlotte. Rudiger had clashed with Pachuca captain Gustavo Cabral in injury time but it was not clear if the alleged abuse came from a player or someone in the crowd. 'That's what Rudiger said, and we believe him,' Alonso told reporters in his post-match press conference. 'It is important to have zero tolerance in these kinds of situations. Fifa now is investigating. That's all I can say.' Fifa, the world governing body and tournament organiser, has not commented but referee Ramon Abatti had crossed his arms in front of his chest, which signals the activation of the anti-racism protocol. Real had shrugged off the early sending off of Raul Asencio to claim a victory that took them to the top of Group H. Asencio was dismissed in the seventh minute for hauling down Salomon Rondon – another blow for Alonso's side with striker Kylian Mbappe still missing through illness. But after soaking up a spell of pressure, Real broke the deadlock through Jude Bellingham in the 35th minute before Arda Guler doubled the lead. Federico Valverde volleyed in a third with 20 minutes left before the Mexicans grabbed a late consolation through Elias Montiel's deflected effort. It was Real's first win of the tournament and took them level on four points with Red Bull Salzburg, who played out a goalless draw with Al Hilal in Washington DC.
The National
a day ago
- The National
Man City v Al Ain: Ivic says players in 'shock' after Juventus rout and doubts if they watch European football
Al Ain boss Vladimir Ivic admitted his side's 5-0 Fifa Club World Cup thrashing by Juventus had left his players in 'shock' and questioned whether all of them actually watch European football. The UAE club's campaign at the revamped 32-team tournament got off to the worst possible start when they were hammered by the Serie A giants in Washington last Wednesday. The Garden City club, who qualified as the 2023/24 AFC Champions League winners, were run ragged in the first half and reached the interval 4-0 down. Ivic said that Juventus' quality had surprised some of his players, and doubted whether every member of his squad had been fully aware of what they were up against. It doesn't get any easier for Al Ain, with a match against Premier League Manchester City next up on Sunday night (Monday 5am UAE) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Asked how his players had reacted to their opening defeat, Ivic said: 'It was a shock a little bit, because we believe we have a good squad, if we speak about our country. 'Some players [only] joined us a few weeks ago, and, of course, it is a totally different competition if we speak about our [domestic] competition and we speak about this World Cup competition. 'I believe that in this game it is not a question of if Juventus deserve victory – they were the better team, they scored five goals and could have scored one or two more. 'But they shoot five times, six times, at the goal in the first half and they score four. It is a little bit unlucky. If you remember how we concede the goals, the second, the third, the fourth was in the last second of the extra time. 'We had some chances, we create something … this plan we prepared for attack, it worked in some actions that we create, we could have scored two goals in this game. 'But it was a shock. [The players] didn't know exactly what level is Juventus, because of that, I say that I am not sure all of them are watching European football. We show them the opponent every time, we explain to them against who we play, this is normal in our job. 'But we go game by game, next game is tomorrow. We believe in ourselves. We will give our maximum to see where we are when we play against a team like City.' Premier League City, meanwhile, got their campaign off to a winning start with a routine 2-0 victory over Wydad Casablanca in their opening game. Another three points against Al Ain would secure their place in the last 16 and Ivic admits it will be a 'huge challenge' for his side to stall City's progress. He praised opposite number Pep Guardiola's impact on world football, describing him as the leading coach of the modern game. 'You said, 'one of the best', no, he is the best coach in the world because he showed this in the last 15 years,' said Ivic when asked about Guardiola. 'He is a guy who influenced a lot of the football, changed the football. It is a pleasure to play against the team he manages, but I am on the opposite side now, working with my players, with the people in the club, to try and get the best for my team. 'To speak about City, you don't need words to explain. In the last 10 years they win maybe six or seven Premier League titles. It is the best championship in the world. I don't need to speak a lot about them. Anyone who follows football, loves football, knows what Manchester City means today. 'Of course, when you play against the best [teams] you want to give the best of yourself. I am sure my players will give the maximum and try from the first to the last second of the game because it will be a huge challenge.' Guardiola to ring changes at City Meanwhile, Guardiola admitted on the eve of the game that City are looking to offload a number of fringe players. The Premier League side brought in several new recruits ahead of the Club World Cup, leaving Guardiola with a bloated squad. England stars Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish appear to be on their way out, while midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has been linked with a move to Turkish side Galatasaray. Guardiola said he did not know anything about that at his pre-match press conference, but said players would have to be sold following the purchases of Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri. Guardiola has said in the past he prefers a squad size of around 20 senior players, whereas City have more than 30 at present. 'I will love to have the players we have right now all season,' Guardiola said. 'The problem is they will be unhappy during the season, they will be sad, they will be disappointed. 'I don't want that. I do it for them, not for me. For them. We have to see what happens, it's a long time until the transfer window will be closed, we have to see step by step.' The Catalan said defensive midfielder Rodri was not able to start against Al Ain as he continues his comeback from injury. 'He's getting better. He can play 20 minutes, 30 minutes at a time. He wants to play to help but we want to protect his knee,' he said. Guardiola previously said fans will see '10 new players' against Al Ain, meaning a likely debut for Ait-Nouri and a start for Erling Haaland.
Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Khaleej Times
Club World Cup: Al Ain 'fully motivated' for big clash against Man City
Fourteen-time UAE champions Al Ain face a do-or-die Group G clash against Premier League giants Manchester City in the Fifa Club World Cup on Monday (UAE Time 5 am). Having lost their opening game on Thursday to Juventus 5-0, Al Ain need to earn at least a point against Pep Guardiola's team in Atlanta to keep their faint hopes alive of advancing to the knockout rounds. Defending champions City, on the other hand, got their campaign off to a great start with a comfortable 2-0 win over Moroccan club Wydad. On paper, there is no comparison between the two sides with the Abu Dhabi-owned Man City possessing some of the world's greatest footballers in their squad. Al Ain's Serbian head coach, Vladimir Ivic, is aware of the magnitude of the challenge his team faces to stay alive in the tournament following their disappointing performance against Juventus. 'We respected Juventus more than we needed to at the beginning, and that allowed them to score two or three goals quite easily — goals we could have avoided,' said Ivic. 'But this is a valuable lesson for us as we prepare to face Manchester City. 'Everyone knows the calibre of a club like City. Our players must be fully motivated, play at their best, and stay compact. 'We're at the Fifa Club World Cup, facing top-level teams. We expected tough matches from the start, and we know another big challenge awaits us against City.' Meanwhile, Guardiola is hoping to win a trophy after enduring a difficult season in which City finished third in the league and suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final. However, the Spanish manager claims that his players are enjoying the expanded 32-team Club World Cup atmosphere in the United States. "It's a privilege to be here... to be back after four years you have to win big, big, prizes," said Guardiola. "I love when I see Botafogo, all the Brazilian teams, Argentinian teams, how they celebrate, how they are together, I love them," said Guardiola. "I'm pretty sure for the South American teams, for the Brazilian teams, for Argentinean teams, this competition is maybe the maximum... "I like how all the games are tight, except one or two, and people are surprised, European teams lose. Welcome to the real world. Welcome to the real world my friends." Al Ain, the 2024 Asian Champions League winners, are one of the four Asian clubs in the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup. The club from the Garden City of the UAE achieved their best result in the 2018 edition of the tournament when they finished runners-up to Real Madrid.
