As a Chelsea fan watching the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 all the way from Kenya — yes, even those 4AM kick-offs — I’ve been blown away not just by our glorious march to the final (suck it, Flamengo fans), but by the incredible technology FIFA has deployed this year.
While most of us are watching from our couches (or beds), this tournament has felt more immersive than ever — thanks to tech that’s bringing us right into the pitch, sometimes literally through the eyes of the referee.
Here are the three standout innovations that’ve caught my eye — and maybe made me wish I was in the stadiums myself:
1. Referee Body Cameras
Let’s start with the wildest of them all — the referee body camera. FIFA strapped GoPro-style cameras on referees for the first time in a major tourney. Unfortunately, there are no details of the brand or even model of cameras in use during the tournament, but let’s just say… the perspective is bonkers.
You get to feel the rush, the pressure, and sometimes the absolute chaos of officiating a big match. In Chelsea’s 2-0 semifinal win against Fluminense, I watched a ref cam replay of João Pedro’s second goal — and while it looked epic, the camera shook so hard I almost spilled my tea.
While I haven’t actually ran the video through analysis, it’s clear that it has zero stabilization. For a running camera, we need some hypersmooth magic here, FIFA. Still, massive props for the transparency — and the cinematic drama it adds.
2. Semi-Automated Offside AI
Now this… this is what I call next-level football logic.
Gone are the days when VAR would spend 5 minutes drawing and redrawing weird lines to prove someone’s elbow was offside. Enter Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) — powered by AI, sensors inside the match ball, and multiple tracking cameras.
It’s fast. It’s accurate. And it shows clean 3D renderings of the offside moment in seconds. As an EPL fan used to endless debates on offside calls, this feels like a breath of fresh air.
3. Stadium VAR Screens
One of my pet peeves has always been how those in the stadium are left clueless while we at home see every VAR replay in slow motion, from multiple angles.
Well, not anymore.
In this Club World Cup, giant screens in stadiums show the exact same review footage and ref monitor views in real time. Even better, refs give short audio summaries of their decisions afterward. If you’ve been on Kenyan football Twitter, you’ll agree — this transparency is long overdue. Makes me hope the EPL will copy-paste this feature ASAP.
The Unsung Heroes: Subtitute Tablets, AI Data & 5G Backstage Tech
Now while the first three innovations totally stole the show for me, we can’t ignore the behind-the-scenes tech quietly keeping this tournament humming.
First up: digital substitution tablets. They’ve replaced those awkward bits of paper and animated guessing games about who’s coming off or on. These tablets sync instantly with match officials, broadcasters, and even team analysts — meaning fewer delays and less human error. Handy? Sure. Game-changing? Maybe not for us viewers, but coaches and match officials probably love it.
Then there’s the AI-driven match analytics. Every player’s move — sprints, passes, ball touches, positioning — is being tracked and crunched by machine learning models. It’s a goldmine for analysts and commentators, but for the average fan? Unless they’re overlaying Moises Caicedo’s heatmap over my screen, I’m just here for the goals.
And finally, the private 5G networks powering all this tech wizardry. These high-speed links beam data from the ref cams and player trackers to broadcast trucks in real time. Amazing stuff — though, let’s be honest — the fact that it’s private means fans in the stadium or us at home don’t really get to enjoy the blazing speeds. Missed opportunity? Kinda.
All said, these three are like the tech midfield: they may not score the goals, but they sure keep the game moving.
As we await the final on July 13 — Chelsea vs either Real Madrid or PSG (fingers crossed for a Madrid revenge match) — I can’t help but appreciate how tech is evolving the beautiful game.
From shaky ref cam drama to offside AI precision, this Club World Cup has been a masterclass in innovation. Some of it still needs polishing (hello, nausea-inducing ref cams), but it’s clear: the future of football is digital, immersive, and frankly, kind of epic.
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