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Lenovo has been named the Official Technology Partner for FIFA, covering both the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027. The company announced this move at the Lenovo’s Tech World innovation event held at Bellevue, Washington on October 15.
This partnership places Lenovo in FIFA’s top-tier sponsorship category. Lenovo will integrate its AI innovations, devices, and data center infrastructure to enhance fan engagement and help FIFA achieve its goal of growing the sport globally.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be hosted in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. And the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup is to be hosted in Brazil. The events will feature Lenovo’s products such as ThinkPad laptops, Motorola smartphones, and servers to power real-time analytics, stadium experiences, and global data accessibility.
“Lenovo is proud to support FIFA’s vision of leveraging technology to elevate the game, enhance the fan experience worldwide, and foster innovation that levels the playing field,” said Yuanqing Yang, Lenovo chairman and CEO. “We’re excited that our cutting-edge technology and AI innovation will take center stage in the upcoming tournaments.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino echoed this sentiment, highlighting the importance of technology in transforming fan experiences. “We are excited to welcome Lenovo to our journey and work with them to implement technologies, innovations, and programs that spread our sport. Data and technology combined helps us to know fans better, and we will use it to create unparalleled and unforgettable fan experiences.”
This partnership marks Lenovo’s first collaboration with FIFA and aligns with Lenovo’s history of supporting flagship global sporting events. The FIFA World Cup 2026 will feature 48 teams and be hosted by three nations for the first time, while the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will take place in Brazil, marking the first time the event will be held in South America.
At Cypher 2024, former Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia advocated merging football and technology. “In Indian football, we are yet to use the technology [AI and analytics] that is used in a much bigger way in world football,” he said.
“I was just reading, not sure if it’s true, that Liverpool signed Mohamed Salah because of data,” recalled Bhutia, pondering over the existence of technology in football and how it’s now a necessity in Indian football.
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