As the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off in Mexico City's Azteca Stadium, the world's attention turned to North America. Yet amid the excitement surrounding the World Cup, one fact stood out: Chinese innovation is everywhere.

Inside a pre-match preparation room in the stadium, coaches consult an AI system on their tablet.

"How can we break down a three-center-back defense?" one of them asks.

Within seconds, the system retrieves historical match footage, tactical diagrams, and statistical analysis, generating simulations with virtual 3D players to test different strategies. What once seemed like science fiction has become reality at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Developed jointly by Lenovo and FIFA, Football AI Pro is an advanced AI-powered football intelligence platform that integrates more than 2,000 performance indicators and millions of data points. Harnessing multiple AI agents to work collaboratively, the system can complete post-match analysis in less than two hours — a task that previously required up to two days.

Notably, the platform is built on a hybrid AI architecture designed to deliver faster and more reliable insights while providing enhanced security and privacy protection.

Strict safeguards govern its use. The system is available only for pre-match preparation and post-match review, and cannot be accessed during live matches, ensuring that the outcomes on the pitch are determined by the players and not algorithms. Sensitive tactical information and player data are accessible only to authorized team personnel through clearly defined permission controls, helping preserve data sovereignty.