Lenovo has been named as FIFA’s official technology partner for the 2026 men’s World Cup and the 2027 women’s World Cup.
The partnership – which was announced at Lenovo Tech World in Seattle this week – will see the Chinese tech company provide a suite of services and technologies to support football’s (soccer) governing body in delivering the championships.
Lenovo will provide technology including artificial intelligence, computing technology and data centre services for the men and women’s tournaments, which will take place in Canada, Mexico, and the United States in 2026, and in Brazil in 2027, respectively.
It will offer its suite of ThinkPad laptops and its mobile phone technology through subsidiary Motorola, with the aim of empowering improved fan experiences in stadiums and across the globe. Lenovo said it will also offer analytics solutions and democratised data for football-playing nations.
Lenovo chairman and CEO Yuanqing Yang said: “As one of the world’s leading technology companies, we’re delighted to partner with the world’s most global and popular sport. Lenovo will be powering the largest sporting and entertainment events in human history – events with more viewers, more nations participating, and an unprecedented global demand for data processing and technology.
“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. We’re excited that our cutting-edge technology and AI innovation will take center stage in the upcoming tournaments, demonstrating to the world the transformative power of smarter technology.”
Lenovo already partners other sports, including Formula One.
The 2026 tournament will feature 48 teams and will be the first time three nations have co-hosted the event. The US last hosted a Men’s World Cup in 1994. The 2027 event is the tenth iteration of the Women’s World Cup and will feature 32 teams.
Previous tournaments have seen more than 3 million fans descend on the host nation, as well as broadcasters, players and teams from across the globe, causing significant pressure on local tech infrastructure.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who made a surprise appearance at Lenovo Tech World to reveal the partnership, added: “At FIFA, we are committed to growing the game globally and making football accessible for all – and we are excited to welcome Lenovo to our journey, and to work with them to implement technologies, innovations and programmes 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 at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027.
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