FIFA invites organisations and innovators to pitch solutions relating to fan engagement, player health and match operations
World football’s governing body seeks to engage with providers whose proposals aim to improve the fan experience surrounding next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup™
Other challenges focus on next-generation sports wearables and connected substitution boards, with selected innovations to potentially be tested and deployed at FIFA events
As part of the FIFA Innovation Programme, FIFA has launched three challenges under which providers are invited to submit applications to help tackle specific needs within the game.
Under the auspices of the initiative, FIFA periodically publishes challenges that aim to address areas within football as it engages with stakeholders to explore and develop innovations that could benefit the sport. The latest three challenges relate to fan engagement at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™, next-generation sports wearables and connected substitution boards.
The trio of challenges provide an opportunity for innovators to showcase their expertise as they explore, develop and test how their solution can help to drive the game forward.
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™
The first of the three challenges is linked to next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in Brazil and seeks innovations that help improve the end-to-end fan journey – from discovering the tournament and purchasing tickets to travelling to the stadium and navigating the matchday experience.
Solutions may address areas including accessibility, in-stadium engagement, matchday operations, ticketing and transport. Selected innovations will be assessed and tested with a view to being deployed at the tournament.
This is the first FIFA Innovation Challenge that relates specifically to a FIFA competition. The application window is open until 1 November 2026.
Next-generation sports wearables
Through the second challenge, FIFA endeavours to discover cutting-edge wearable devices that are capable of providing new insights into player health and performance.
FIFA is eager to explore solutions that are able to accurately assess new physical and physiological metrics relating to players in real time during training sessions and/or matches, e.g. those that provide data on hydration, load, recovery and stress.
The proposed products must have reached at least the working prototype stage, with evidence that data can be captured accurately and translated into tangible insights. Promising solutions could subsequently be further developed, tested and validated with the support of FIFA’s network of research partners and academic institutions.
Connected substitution boards
By launching the third challenge, FIFA is looking for systems that make the player substitution process more efficient. World football’s governing body is keen to engage with technology providers able to develop connected substitution boards that can be linked to existing substitution management software and automate the display of player numbers to stadium audiences.
Proposals should involve durable and lightweight boards that are capable of being connected to software platforms, helping to create a fully digitised substitution management procedure for teams and match officials.