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Sport
From idea to tournament trial in 24 months
How the FIFA Innovation Programme gave new football technology one route from prototype to global standard, with every trial capped at 24 months.
Client
FIFA
Sector
Sport
Services
Innovation programme design, trial governance
Delivered
Programme design, application flow, tournament trials
The outcome
24
months from idea to trial
Time from idea to implementation fell from more than four years to 24 months.
6
published challenges
FIFA set out the problems it wanted solved, so innovators knew where to focus.
1
front door for innovators
Applicants follow one flow: a prototype, a published challenge, a backer and an assessment.
The Challenge
Football technology has a long road from prototype to pitch. Even VAR took from its first experiments in 2016 to the Laws of the Game in 2018. Many ideas never got that far. There was no clear way to test them, no agreed measure of success and no route to a global standard.
WHY IT MATTERS: INDUSTRY DATA
24
mths
Idea to implementation
Down from more than 4 years
10
Strategic priority areas
Each with its own challenges
6
Published challenges
For innovators to solve
What we did
1
Built one front door
We designed the programme and its application flow: a working prototype, a published challenge to solve, a backing member association or club and an independent assessment.
2
Published clear challenges
FIFA set out the problems it wanted solved, from player tracking and semi-automated offside to injury-risk software, so innovators knew where to focus.
3
Trialled at real tournaments
Ideas were tested in live competition, including semi-automated offside at the FIFA Arab Cup 2021, with results published on the programme’s website.
What happened next
FIFA relaunched and expanded the programme in February 2025, with four focus domains and a new submission portal. By September 2025, fan-engagement technologies had been piloted at the Club World Cup and 12 providers shortlisted for Football Video Support.
