×

How AI is changing soccer from the ground up

Saint Cloud, MN, USA / KNSI
Gabriel Roxas for XbotGo
Jul 17, 2026 | 11:45 AM
James Williamson // AMA / Getty Images

How AI is changing soccer from the ground up

More than two thousand years ago, Chinese players kicked a leather ball across training grounds in a game called Cuju to develop balance, endurance, and precision with their feet. The game evolved gradually until the 1860s when England transformed dozens of local clubs into an organized body with standardized “laws of the game.” Along the way, leather balls became lighter, village squares gave way to massive stadiums, television made local matches into global events, video replay revolutionized officiating, and advances in modern training techniques helped athletes build better bodies. Today, as XbotGo reports below, soccer is undergoing yet another evolution, in the way AI is changing the sport at all levels.

As technology advances, the sport adapts. That includes everything from synthetic playing surfaces to semi-automated offside technology (SAOT). Since FIFA introduced this breakthrough at the 2022 World Cup, review times dropped dramatically as artificial intelligence tracks players using multiple high-speed cameras, generating 3D animations to determine exact positions at the moment of a pass, improving accuracy compared to human linesmen alone. MLS uses AI to evaluate amateur players virtually, making global talent discovery possible without traditional scouting trips. Today, even a young athlete’s earliest development can be captured by any parent who sets up an AI sports camera on the sidelines and lets automated tracking take over the videography, so the parent can enjoy the game.

Artificial intelligence is an edge for players and coaches at the highest professional level. But it is also helping to democratize the pursuit of going pro by bringing video, analysis, and data-driven coaching to millions of players who may never train at an elite academy. AI sports camera companies have developed technologies that can automate game tracking and generate highlights for grassroots soccer.

These technologies can also be used to foster a player’s love of the game at an early age. Today, it’s common for children to embrace dedicated “film review” sessions with their coaches, when watching themselves on screen and sharing highlights become fun elements in training.

Two players using smartphones in a soccer field with the XbotGo Falcon 4K sports camera mounted on a tripod.
XbotGo

Automated tracking systems can now follow every movement on the field without a camera operator. For smaller clubs, that automation can free a coach whose eyes were previously behind a phone camera to reengage in the more meaningful work of actual coaching. Computer vision can automatically identify players, recognize game situations, and generate highlights. AI-powered analytics are becoming increasingly capable of measuring positioning, decision-making, and tactical patterns that once required hours of manual review. Rather than replacing coaches, this outsourcing of repetitive, technical tasks becomes a force multiplier as the coaches reclaim hours to spend on player development.

Great potential exists in every community, but talent can only develop when players receive meaningful feedback and opportunities to improve. As AI helps bridge that gap, more players can be seen and discovered.

Even for young athletes with humbler ambitions, their parents might find benefits in this technology. Instead of worrying about recording an entire match from the sidelines, they can remain present while still preserving important moments with an AI sports camera.

With the world’s attention on international competitions this summer, millions of young players dream about becoming the next global star. The challenge is providing those players with the tools to continue improving.

Artificial intelligence cannot replace dedication or passion. However, it can make advanced training resources more accessible than ever before.

The next great player could still come from a distinguished academy in Madrid or Buenos Aires. However, they may also emerge from a community club with little more than a ball, a coach, and access to the same intelligent tools once reserved for the world’s elite.

This story was produced by XbotGo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.