to 3D-scan players for 2026 World Cup VAR

Why the offside image matters

The report says plans to scan roughly 1,200 players across 48 training centres during the mandatory media window from June 4 to June 13.

• Each capture would reportedly use 36 4K cameras at once.
• The process is said to generate around three million data points per player.
• The target, according to the update, is accuracy of less than one centimetre.

That matters because offside controversies often flare up not only over the law, but over the picture. Fans can accept a close decision more readily when the visual explanation looks believable. A system built around each player’s real shape, height and stride would be designed to remove one layer of doubt.

A bigger tournament-tech push

The same report outlines a much broader 2026 technology build.

• More than 17,000 devices and 30,000 assets are reportedly being prepared.
• Operations would span the 16 stadiums and host sites across the three host countries.
• Teams are also expected to have access to Football AI Pro for tactical clips, maps and 3D reconstructions.

That last point is significant. The richest national sides already work with deep analyst support. If can offer a faster, standardised tool to every federation, the competitive gap around preparation could narrow, even if only slightly.

The real test is trust

The eye-catching addition may be the proposed Referee View camera, which the report says would deliver a first-person broadcast angle with near-live processing. But the bigger issue is credibility. Technology in football succeeds when it shortens arguments, not when it creates new ones.

The next step will be watching how much of this is rolled out in full before the World Cup begins on June 11 - and whether can turn innovation into clarity when the first major offside call arrives.