The following is an article by Milo Speranzo, North America Chief Marketing Officer, Lenovo.

RALEIGH, N.C., July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time since 1994, the FIFA World Cup 26™ plays out across North America and it's bigger than ever. This summer's tournament will deliver a viewing experience that makes four years ago feel like a different era.

With 48 teams competing across North America and billions of eyes glued to screens worldwide, fans expect views from every angle, real-time stats and images so clear you'll feel like you're on the pitch.

As FIFA's Official Technology Partner, Lenovo provides the end-to-end technology foundation that powers the FIFA World Cup 26™. From devices and infrastructure to AI-powered innovations that enhance the fan experience, Lenovo helps support tournament operations at a scale required to serve the fans of the world's game.

Bringing Fans Closer to the Action

Let's start with the expectations of passionate fans. Today's fans want more than a front-row seat. They want to be inside the match with deeper insights and new ways to experience the action.

Lenovo and FIFA are rising to those high expectations with new technologies that offer additional perspectives and visualizations, helping viewers and World Cup teams better understand critical moments during a match. Built by Lenovo's AI Factory, FIFA AI Pro analyzes millions of data points and more than 2,000 performance metrics to deliver rapid insights after each match. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the data is "the most complete set of football analytics" available. All competing teams will benefit from this technology, and fans will increasingly experience the benefits through enhanced match insights, analysis and storytelling.

Creating 3D Player Avatars

Brand new for 2026 are AI-powered 3D player avatars!

Ahead of the tournament, more than 1,200 featured players were digitally scanned to capture their precise dimensions. It's a quick process with the actual scanning time at less than one second for each player. Lenovo's innovative technology turns those dimensions into a 3D avatar of each player. 

These avatars help fans better understand what's happening on the pitch by providing additional context and new perspectives on key moments throughout a match. The goal is to enhance the viewing experience, giving fans deeper insights into the game and helping bring them closer to the action. By turning player data into engaging visual experiences, Lenovo and FIFA are creating new ways for fans to experience football like never before.

From North Carolina to the World Stage

While the FIFA World Cup spans North America, part of the innovation behind the tournament started in North Carolina.

One of Lenovo's two global headquarters sits in Morrisville, N.C., in the heart of Research Triangle Park, one of the world's leading hubs for technology innovation. From this North Carolina base, Lenovo develops and delivers technologies that support customers, businesses and global events around the world, including the FIFA World Cup 26™.

North Carolina's connection to soccer continues to grow through thriving youth programs, professional clubs such as the North Carolina Courage and Charlotte FC, and increasing fan engagement across the state. As excitement builds around this year's World Cup, North Carolina contributes in its own way by helping power the technology behind the tournament.

The world's biggest sporting event deserves world-class technology. As FIFA's Official Technology Partner, Lenovo is helping create a future where fans around the world are more connected to the action than ever before while providing the technology foundation that helps make the FIFA World Cup 26™ possible.

CONTACT: Mary Cullen, mary@npstrategy.com 

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SOURCE Lenovo