2026 World Cup Adds Referee Cameras and 3D Player Scans

Referees at the 2026 World Cup wear a headset camera positioned over one ear, a microphone, and two watches during matches. The camera feed provides viewers a referee's perspective of play. Officials use the additional equipment to support on-field decisions.

1,248 players underwent a 30-second 3D body scan before the tournament. The scans create individual models that feed into the semi-automated offside system. At least ten stadium cameras track player positions in real time. The system determines whether an attacker was beyond the last defender when the ball was passed.

Goal-line technology, approved in 2012, determines whether the ball fully crosses the line. A separate device called Snicko checks whether the ball contacted a player or object. During one match, a camera angle initially showed a direct pass to a Croatian player. In another quarterfinal, Norwegian players said a Spidercam cable may have affected possession before England's equalizer.