FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger visited the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) in Dallas, Texas, gaining an in-depth look at the technological and operational backbone supporting the FIFA World Cup 2026™. He was accompanied, among others, by Deputy Chief of Global Football Development Steven Martens and welcomed by FIFA Director of Innovation Johannes Holzmüller and his team. During the visit, Mr Wenger explored key areas of the facility, with a particular focus on football technology and innovation. A key highlight of the visit was the Video Operations Room (VOR), where Mr Wenger received a detailed explanation of VAR processes and workflows. He expressed his appreciation for the professionalism and focus required in this environment.

The IBC serves as the central hub for global broadcast operations and technological implementation, bringing together cutting-edge systems that are transforming how football is analysed, officiated, and experienced by fans worldwide. A key part of this system is the Football Data Platform, powered by the Football Data Hub. Here, performance data and AI tools – developed within Mr Wenger’s Global Football Development team closely with the FIFA Innovation team – turn raw data into clear and useful football insights for different audiences, including fans in the stadium and at home, as well as FIFA’s Technical Study Group. The platform programmatically ingests official tournament and match data and makes it available in one unified interface. By combining competition information, live match data, and synchronised video, it enables users to analyse events in real time and generate customised performance insights. The football expertise underpinning these insights is driven by Mr Wenger’s team, which plays a key role in interpreting data and shaping how it is applied across the game. “The quality of observation, the quality of conclusions and the quality of the data we produce now are really impressive. It's incredible how quickly we can respond to all the questions, especially after matches to the coaches,” Mr Wenger said. “AI is improving the speed of our work. That's how we can share more data and educate people better.”

Reflecting on the broader efforts of the teams operating within the IBC, Mr Wenger praised their contribution to the tournament’s success so far. “This is fantastic teamwork. All people involved at the IBC are doing a great job,” he said. “I'm impressed by the precision of the work and the sophisticated nature of it as well. The level of concentration required is remarkable. You feel the genuine desire to inform people. I visit the IBC every time and I see that we are moving from one competition to another in a very impressive way.” The IBC in Dallas was officially inaugurated by FIFA President Gianni Infantino on 1 June 2026. Spanning 45,000 square metres, the IBC serves as the operational headquarters for FIFA’s host broadcaster Host Broadcast Services (HBS), FIFA Media Partners, the Video Content Production Department, and the Football Technology and Innovation Division, while also housing the VAR room. Notably, this marks the second time Dallas has hosted the IBC, having previously held this role during the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™.