FIFA PUTS REFEREE BODYCAM AT THE CENTRE OF 2026 WORLD CUP PLANS

By: Gyang Dakwo

FIFA is moving toward major refereeing changes for the 2026 World Cup, and the standout idea is the wider use of a referee body camera that gives fans a direct view of key moments on the pitch.

Johannes Holzmueller, who is FIFA’s director of innovation, said the bodycam test at this year’s Club World Cup in the United States was very successful.

He said, “We want to build on the success of this year’s FIFA Club World Cup in the US, where we trialled the referee’s body camera with great success.”

Holzmueller explained that the system called “referee with you” will place images from the referee’s camera into the live television feed and on giant screens inside stadiums so that spectators can see “what the referee saw in that special moment.”

He said FIFA also improved its semi automated offside system during the Club World Cup. According to him, some offside alerts were sent directly to assistant referees through an audio signal, and he explained that “they were able to raise the flag,” which helped avoid delays.

He rejected the idea that technology is changing football but rather said that technology can support officials, coaches, medical staff, and fans “without changing the game.

“For us it is always a balance between what we can improve and what the tradition of our sport is.” 

Any rule changes must be approved by the International Football Association Board, which will meet in Wales in February.

Renowned referee, Pierluigi Collina, who is chairman of the FIFA Refereeing Committee, also addressed the new time limit for goalkeepers. He said some goalkeepers had been holding the ball for up to 25 seconds, so IFAB set the limit at eight seconds.

Collina said the level of support for referees today is far ahead of what existed during his own career. He said the difference in accuracy and available tools is “night and day,” and he sees the new technology as a step toward faster and clearer decisions at the World Cup.