CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY ON SHOW AT EURO 2024 IS CHANGING THE FACE OF SOCCER

From smart-enabled match balls and artificial intelligence to cryogenic recovery chambers, soccer is being transformed by the cuttingedge technology available to players, coaches and officials.

That much has been evident at Euro 2024, where advancements in areas such as equipment and sports science have been deployed on and off the field, designed to improve the game, the fan experience and player welfare.

Not all of it is a hit with everyone.

For instance, there are still complaints about decisions by video assistant referees — just as there were about decisions in the days before VAR was introduced.

Regardless, the world’s most popular sport continues to be impacted by rapidly-developing technologies in the wider world.

RIGHT CALLS

VAR decisions have, in large part, seemed to be a smoother process here and have taken an average time of 51 seconds to be determined according to UEFA — five seconds quicker than in the Champions League last season.

UEFA is deploying semi-automated offside technology, along with AI and Adidas’ connected ball technology to speed up the review process and improve accuracy.

Ten cameras are installed in each of the host stadiums, which UEFA says track 29 different points of the body on every player. Combined with the official tournament ball, which has a sensor to help detect every touch, and AI, the decision-making process is supposed to be quicker and more conclusive than before.

Perhaps too conclusive for some. Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku had three goals ruled out in his opening two games — two for offside and one for a handball from teammate Loïs Openda in the build up, which was detected by the ball’s sensor.