The 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, expands to 48 teams, which represent 27% of the world’s population and 62% of global GDP, underlining the tournament’s huge economic footprint. Attendance is projected to be 6.5 million, nearly double the 3.6 million record set at the 1994 US-hosted World Cup.
But that’s not it.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be far more than just a football tournament. According to a report by Bank of America, it could become the world’s first fully AI-driven and data-intensive mega sporting event, where artificial intelligence, real-time analytics and digital infrastructure fundamentally reshape how the beautiful game is played, managed and consumed.
The competition will mark the first tournament where data itself becomes a primary product. All participating teams are expected to gain access to real-time AI models capable of analysing millions of data points, along with 3D simulations that can help build match strategies. In earlier tournaments, elite analytics often remained an advantage reserved for wealthier teams. However, the report noted that AI could now democratise access to data and provide all teams with similar analytical capabilities.
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This shift is accelerating the importance of edge computing, where data is generated and analysed directly within stadium environments instead of relying solely on cloud infrastructure. According to Bank of America, this trend is also driving higher valuations for specialised AI chipmakers and high-density data centre REITs.
AI at unprecedented scaleThe scale of data generation is expected to be unprecedented. USB and SSD major SanDisk estimates the tournament could cross the 90-petabyte milestone, nearly 45 times higher than the data generated during the Qatar 2022 World Cup, which had been the most connected and digitally active tournament until now.
To illustrate the scale, the report said 1 petabyte roughly equals 13.3 years of HD video. By that measure, the tournament could generate the digital equivalent of nearly 1,200 years of high-definition footage in just over a month.
And this 90-petabyte estimate only captures direct data generation and excludes social media interactions, selfies, mobile usage and other digital activity. Including these layers, Bank of America estimates the total data footprint could reach nearly 2 exabytes, equivalent to around 45,000 years of 4K video.
What’s behind this?
A major driver behind this surge is FIFA and Lenovo’s integration of AI into the tournament ecosystem. The report highlighted the Football AI Pro platform, which is designed to provide every team with access to advanced analytics tools. The system is expected to analyse hundreds of millions of FIFA data points and process over 2,000 football metrics, including pressing patterns, movement, tactics and transitions.
The platform can deliver insights in the form of text explanations, charts and short video clips, effectively giving every team its own AI model capable of scanning and interpreting information in real time.
The report also pointed to the growing role of digital twins and metaverse-style technologies in officiating and tournament management. Every player is expected to be digitally scanned within roughly one second to create precise 3D avatars for use in offside and VAR decisions. According to the report, this could improve transparency and accuracy while increasing fan trust in officiating outcomes.
Beyond the pitch, each of the 16 venues across the three host nations will reportedly have a digital twin, or a real-time virtual replica, connected to AI-powered Intelligent Command Centres. These systems are expected to monitor crowd movement, security, logistics, transport and even biometric data from player wearables in real time.
The operational complexity of hosting a tournament across three countries and 16 cities is unprecedented, the report noted. The AI-powered command centres are expected to centralise information and generate predictive alerts before issues escalate.
Most popular sport to get better
Broadcasting and streaming demands are also set to surge. With the tournament expanding to 48 teams and 104 matches from 64 previously, the volume of 4K and 8K streaming traffic is expected to rise sharply. Broadcasters are reportedly preparing bandwidth reserves of nearly 200 terabytes to support as many as 50 million concurrent viewers.
Bank of America also highlighted that the challenge is not just the quantity of data, but its quality and speed. The report noted that data consumption will be uneven across regions and periods, with peak traffic moments requiring near-zero latency delivery.
Unlike previous tournaments, the 2026 World Cup data infrastructure is expected to be built specifically for real-time AI inference. The data will include high-fidelity spatial tracking information, such as player limb movement, which can be instantly processed by AI systems to generate betting odds, broadcast graphics and analytical outputs.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to mark a major shift in how global sporting events are played, managed and experienced. From AI-driven match analysis and digital twins to real-time data processing and edge computing, the tournament is set to become a large-scale showcase of how artificial intelligence and data infrastructure are increasingly shaping modern sport.
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