AFA and Google Partner for the 2026 World Cup: Artificial Intelligence at the Service of the Argentine National Team
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has announced an innovative technological alliance with Google, marking a milestone in preparation for the 2026 World Cup. The collaboration will integrate Gemini artificial intelligence into the work of the Argentine national team, promising to revolutionize the way the team approaches the competition. The official announcement was made in Times Square, New York, a few weeks before the start of the World Cup to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. As explained by Leandro Petersen, commercial director of the AFA, the Gemini tool will be implemented by the technical staff to optimize various key areas.- Injury prevention.
- Tactical analysis.
- Real-time decision-making.
In addition to supporting the sports staff, Gemini will offer interactive experiences for fans. Followers will be able to create digital content linked to figures from the national team, such as Lionel Messi, seeking to bring the World Cup experience closer to those who cannot attend the matches. Flor Sabatini, Google’s communications director for Latin America, highlighted the importance of this AI integration in football, predicting a significant change in the next World Cup. “It will be a completely different World Cup than any other. AI will be present for fans, players, and coaching staff,” she stated. The next World Cup will be the first men’s edition to be held after the global rise of artificial intelligence tools like Gemini. Argentina, led by Lionel Messi and after winning the championship in Qatar 2022, arrives at the tournament as one of the main favorites.“The use of this technology will allow us to optimize different aspects of the technical and medical work of the team during the competition,” said Petersen, who described the agreement as one of the most important in the history of the Argentine federation.
Leandro Petersen, Commercial Director AFA
