FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger has toured the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) in Dallas, Texas, getting an inside look at the technological infrastructure underpinning the FIFA World Cup 2026. He was joined by Deputy Chief of Global Football Development Steven Martens and received by FIFA Director of Innovation Johannes Holzmüller and his team.

The visit gave Wenger a detailed walkthrough of the facility's core operations, with a particular emphasis on football technology and innovation. A highlight was the Video Operations Room, where he received a thorough briefing on VAR processes and workflows, praising the level of focus and professionalism demanded in that environment.

Football data at the heart of the IBC

The IBC functions as the central hub for global broadcast operations, housing the Football Data Platform—powered by the Football Data Hub—which sits at the core of how match data is collected and distributed. The platform ingests official tournament and match data, combining competition information, live statistics, and synchronised video into a single unified interface.

AI tools and performance analysis systems, developed through close collaboration between Wenger's Global Football Development team and FIFA's Innovation unit, translate raw figures into clear, usable football insights. Those insights reach diverse audiences: fans inside stadiums, viewers at home, and FIFA's Technical Study Group alike.

Wenger was enthusiastic about the platform's capabilities.