The 2022 FIFA World Cup is well underway in Qatar, with the group phase ending Dec. 2 and advancing to the knockout stage Dec. 3, and fans in the stadiums seem to be impressed with FIFA’s new augmented reality app (available for Android and iOS).
One fan posted two TikTok videos during the Nov. 30 USA vs. Iran match showing the FIFA+ app(Opens in a new window)‘s sophisticated technology. User @nazwif holds the phone up to the field, which triggers “pitch recognition mode” as the app scans to detect the players.
Clicking on any player reveals their name, team, and key stats, including how fast they’re running in real-time. As @nazwif taps from player to player, the speeds show 20mph, 12mph, and down to 0mph—adjusting accurately as the person moves.
In the video, the technology seems to run cleanly with no lags. It doesn’t struggle to identify the players quickly, even from the fan’s position up in the stands where anyone might fail to identify the players with the naked eye.
@nazwif(Opens in a new window) How beauty is this fifa+ VR App #fifaplus(Opens in a new window) #fifaworldcup2022(Opens in a new window) #viral(Opens in a new window) #trend(Opens in a new window) #fypシ(Opens in a new window) #football(Opens in a new window) #trending(Opens in a new window) #foryoupage(Opens in a new window) #foryou(Opens in a new window) ♬ Arhbo [Music from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Official Soundtrack] – Ozuna & GIMS & RedOne(Opens in a new window)
The app can overlay multiple types of heatmaps, showing percentage of ball possession and the proportion of attackers and defenders in a given area, according to reporting by the US Sun(Opens in a new window).
Adding more technology to enhance the in-stadium experience may help fill seats and keep younger generations engaged. The augmented reality experience is exclusively available to those in the stands. At one point, the video shows a message in the FIFA app stating, “You need to be in the stadium at kick-off. This feature is only available if you are located in the stadium during World Cup matches in Qatar.”
(Credit: US Sun, FIFA+ app)
The type of data surfaced in the app is part of a wider effort by FIFA to introduce a more analytics-based approach to measuring game quality. For the 2022 World Cup, FIFA introduced 11 new metrics that it will use to better “understand how the game is evolving over time as well as developmental analysis to better comprehend what it takes to progress from junior to senior level in both the men’s and women’s games,” says(Opens in a new window) FIFA.
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Experiences like the augmented reality app experience help FIFA bring fans along on their journey to introduce new data into the vernacular.
“We would like to share our vision of using data analytics combined with technical expert interpretation to create a new football intelligence, allowing everyone to better understand the game,” says(Opens in a new window) Arsène Wenger, chief of global football development at FIFA. “Enhanced football intelligence will be our blueprint for how we analyze football in the future.”
New FIFA Metrics Introduced For 2022 World Cup:
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