Brazil turns to smart wearables and AI in its bid to win the World Cup

Brazil, the most successful nation in World Cup history, has gone 24 years without lifting the trophy, and its federation is now leaning heavily on technology in an attempt to end that drought. A team of sports scientists is tracking players with sensor-packed wearable vests, which resemble sports bras, to give coach Carlo Ancelotti more data before major selection and tactical decisions.

The monitoring covers sprint speeds, heart rate, fatigue levels, and injury recovery, even from thousands of kilometers away. Guilherme Passos, Brazil’s head of sports science, told the BBC, “This allows us to analyze the players even when they are far from us.” He said the system is especially useful because many squad members play in different leagues and on different continents, leaving coaches limited time to supervise them. The data collected at clubs is also shared with the national team’s sports science department.

The information affects lineup choices, positions, and tactics, especially for players returning from injuries or rehabilitation. One major use is managing hamstring injuries, a common issue for elite players. By tracking running data, staff can judge whether a player is recovering safely and decide whether he should start, be used as a substitute, or be kept off the field.

Catapult, a sports technology company working with Brazil and many other World Cup teams, supplies lightweight vests that combine heart electrodes and GPS. The main metric is “player load,” which measures physical strain. Separately, FIFA and Lenovo have launched Football AI Pro, a tactical analysis system for the 48 teams at World Cup 2026, which can process more than 2,000 match metrics, answer coaches’ questions in natural language, and turn statistics into video and 3D avatars. The tournament also features a sensor-equipped Adidas match ball, semi-automated offside technology, GPS tracking, and body cameras for referees, though experts still say human judgment remains decisive.