FIFA has officially opened the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) for the 2026 World Cup at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Centre in Dallas. The event, which took place nine days before the opening match, was graced by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson.
The IBC is touted as the most technologically advanced broadcast centre in World Cup history. It spans across a massive area of 45,000 square metres and will serve as an operational headquarters for various departments including FIFA's host broadcaster, all FIFA Media Partners, Video Content Production Department, Football Technology and Innovation Department, and VAR room.
FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, said:
"It's absolutely incredible to be here in Dallas at this fantastic International Broadcast Centre. There's more and more technology, AI power, people, experts. It's incredible to see how much work, how much passion, how much expertise, how much high-level technological input there is to bring the FIFA World Cup to billions of fans all over the world."
Dallas was chosen to host this prestigious facility due to its central location within the three-nation tournament footprint. This isn't Dallas' first rodeo either; it hosted the IBC during the 1994 World Cup making this a return engagement.
Inside the facility
The facility is equipped with over 17,000 devices deployed by technology partner Lenovo across venues and team base camp training sites. These devices are supported by more than 200 engineers who manage live video data from stadiums across North America with latency reduced to under five seconds across more than 1,000 screens at all FIFA venues.
Two specific technological innovations are set to change how fans watch football matches. Firstly, digital scans taken upon arrival will be used to create realistic 3D player avatars for VAR offside displays - a process that takes approximately one second per player.
Secondly is an innovation involving a stabilised referee camera view that builds on trials conducted at last year's Club World Cup. This technology smooths body camera footage in real time providing cleaner first-person broadcast footage. Mayor Johnson lauded these advancements, calling the facility a world-class media hub. He also noted that Dallas will host more World Cup matches than any other city, with nine matches in total.
The 2026 World Cup is set to be an exciting event not just for the players and teams involved but also for fans worldwide. With FIFA's new technologically advanced broadcast centre now officially open, viewers can look forward to experiencing football like never before. The tournament begins on June 11th, promising an unforgettable spectacle of sportsmanship and technological innovation.
