The International Federation of Football (FIFA) made a revolutionary announcement that all matches of the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the USA, Canada and Mexico, will be refereed by robots. This decision was made after long research and testing of artificial intelligence (AI), which, according to FIFA, is capable of providing more accurate, fair and unbiased refereeing.
“We believe that this will be a new era in the history of football, when the human factor will be completely eliminated from the decision-making process on the field,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino. He added that the robot referees will be equipped with special sensors, cameras and microphones, which will allow them to track all the actions of the players, as well as communicate with them and other officials.
The decision of FIFA caused different reactions in the football world. Some players, coaches and fans welcomed it as a step forward to a cleaner and more modern sport, while others expressed their dissatisfaction and concern for the future of football.
“I think it’s a good idea. I always complained about bad refereeing, which prevented me from scoring goals. Now I will be able to show my talent without any interference,” said Brazil’s striker Neymar.
“I am against this decision. I think that football is an emotional game, which requires human contact and interaction. Robots cannot understand our feelings and passions. They can make a mistake or break down at the most responsible moment,” argued Italy’s defender Giorgio Chiellini.
FIFA assures that all these fears are unfounded and that the robot referees will be under strict control and supervision. FIFA also stated that the robots will abide by all the rules and ethical norms of football, as well as respect the spirit of the game and sportsmanship.
“We do not want to replace football with something else. We want to improve it and make it more attractive and exciting for millions of fans around the world. We hope that the robot referees will become part of the football family and will be perceived as friends, not enemies,” concluded Infantino.