Media

FIFA Confirms Referees Will Wear Body Cameras for Club World Cup

Published APR 16 2025

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Above: Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, speaks on stage during the 74th FIFA Congress on May 17, 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. Image credit: Apinya Rittipo/FIFA/Contributor via Getty Images

The Facts

World soccer's governing body FIFA announced in a statement on Monday that referees will be equipped with body cameras on a trial basis at the Club World Cup, which will take place from June 14 to July 13 in the United States.
FIFA
The first-person footage from these cameras will be integrated into the live broadcast of the games, and they will also be used as a tool for training referees, helping to understand what they saw and what influenced their decisions.
CBS News
XINHUA
This comes as the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the independent body responsible for the rules of the game, has allowed the technology to be tested in limited senior competitions to "identify possible future use and develop quality and safety standards."
The New York Times
ESPN
Referee cameras were first piloted in English grassroots football in 2023 to improve behavior and respect toward match officials, making their way to top-flight games in the Premier League as well as in Germany's Bundesliga last season —though not as part of live match transmission.
CBS News
The New York Times
ESPN
The revamped Club World Cup, now with 32 teams split into eight groups of four, will be broadcast on streaming platform DAZN worldwide on a free-to-view basis, with potential sub-licenses to other free-to-air networks.
BBC News
FIFA
The final spot has yet to be determined, after FIFA disqualified Mexican side Club León due to a joint ownership with another competitor, Pachuca. If pending appeals from León and Costa Rica's Alajuelense are dismissed, FIFA eyes a playoff match between LAFC and Club América of Mexico.
Guardian
Sports Illustrated

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

Referee cameras are a revolutionary step forward in soccer broadcasting, offering unprecedented access to the official's perspective and improving transparency in decision-making. This technology has already proven successful in reducing abuse at the grassroots level and will enhance the viewing experience for fans worldwide.

Versus

Narrative B

Referee cameras are just not as pioneering as FIFA officials have portrayed, with experiences in rugby more than a decade ago showing significant limitations of the technology. A broader, emotionless view that differs from the referee's focused, contextual interpretation of events will do more harm than good.

The Telegraph