Goa, July 6 -- Athul KP

The fastest player at the 2026 FIFA World Cup may outrun defenders. The most gifted playmaker may split de fences with inch-perfect passes. Yet the tournament's biggest game-changer never scores a goal, never celebrates a winner and never steps onto the pitch. It is artificial intelligence. AI is no longer operating quietly in the background. It has become an integral part of the tourna ment, influencing everything from refereeing decisions and coaching tactics to stadium security and television broad casts.

Even the match ball has be come intelligent. The Adidas Trionda contains a tiny motion sensor hidden inside one of its four panels. The sensor records every touch, pass, shot and de flection 500 times every s...