FIFA Referees to Wear Body Cams at Club World Cup

Football fans are in for a revolutionary viewing experience at the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, as FIFA confirms a series of cutting-edge innovations set to redefine the game’s engagement, transparency, and operational efficiency. The tournament, featuring 32 teams, will run from June 15th to July 13th, 2025.

Chief among the highly anticipated changes is the introduction of body cameras for referees. Following approval from the International Football Association Board (IFAB), match officials will wear these cameras, with the live footage integrated into broadcasts by exclusive global broadcaster DAZN. This initiative aims to offer viewers an unprecedented “referee’s perspective,” showcasing their unique vantage point and decision-making processes, thereby enhancing entertainment and 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,” a FIFA statement read. The world governing body hopes to utilise findings from this tournament to establish future guidelines for body camera use in football. In a significant move to enhance the stadium experience, fans attending matches will also see this body camera footage displayed live on giant screens, offering immediate insight into officiating decisions.

Further bolstering officiating accuracy, FIFA will implement semi-automated offside technology at the Club World Cup. This follows successful trials at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2024 and various FIFA youth tournaments. The system leverages multiple cameras, a sensor embedded within the ball, and artificial intelligence to track player positions and the ball, providing real-time alerts for clear offside situations to match officials. For more complex scenarios, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will still validate the system’s information before a final decision is made.

“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,” FIFA explained. “However, for challenging offside scenarios, the video assistant referee will still validate the information provided by the system before the decision is taken.”

In another significant technological leap, the tournament will mark the first-ever use of artificial intelligence-driven data at a major FIFA event. Algorithms developed by Football Technology Centre AG, a joint venture with Hawk-Eye Innovations Ltd, will automatically collect the majority of live event data based on available tracking data, promising richer and more immediate statistical insights.

Streamlining matchday operations, FIFA is also rolling out substitution tablets for referees and team officials. This digital solution will replace the traditional paper-based method for managing substitution requests, ensuring real-time alignment among all relevant personnel and providing a clear overview of remaining substitutions. Each team will receive a tablet before kick-off to manage their digital requests.

“FIFA has a proud history of breaking new ground at its elite tournaments, and the FIFA Club World Cup will continue that trend,” stated FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström. “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. 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.”

As the football world eagerly anticipates the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, these groundbreaking innovations promise to deliver a more engaging, transparent, and technologically advanced spectacle for fans both in stadiums and watching globally.