The Argentine Football Association surprised this Wednesday by announcing a strategic alliance with Google to incorporate Google Gemini artificial intelligence during the 2026 World Cup.

The announcement was made in Times Square, in New York, a few weeks before the start of the World Cup that will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, where the Argentina team will seek to defend the title won in Qatar 2022.

Argentina will use AI to prevent injuries and analyze matches

Google Gemini technology will be used directly by the coaching staff of the Argentine national team with the aim of optimizing different sporting processes during the 2026 World Cup.

“All this technology will allow us to work a lot on injury prevention, tactical analysis and many other things in real time that involve decision-making by the technical teams,” said Leandro Petersen, commercial director of the Argentine Football Association.

The implementation of artificial intelligence in tactical and medical areas represents one of the most important technological movements made by a national soccer team in the run-up to a World Cup.

The AFA and Google present their alliance in Times Square

The official presentation between the Argentine Football Association and Google took place in Times Square, one of the most emblematic sites in New York.

Although the AFA did not reveal financial details of the agreement, Leandro Petersen assured that it is “one of the most important agreements in the history of AFA.”

The agreement will not only be focused on sports performance, but also on bringing new digital experiences to fans of the Argentine national team.

Fans will be able to interact with Messi thanks to Gemini

One of the most striking points of the alliance will be the interaction of fans with artificial intelligence tools related to the Argentina national team.

"Fans will be able to use Gemini's AI to create images with their idols, songs and other content when taking photos and uploading them to the platform. Fans who are not going to be at the World Cup will be able to feel close to the team and global idols like Lionel Messi," Petersen added.

The integration of AI-generated content aims to turn the 2026 World Cup into a much more interactive experience for millions of fans around the world.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first marked by artificial intelligence

The 2026 World Cup will be the first major international football event after the global rise of artificial intelligence platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, Grok and Google Gemini.

"It's going to be completely different from any other World Cup we've experienced. AI is going to be in the palm of the hands of the fans, the players, the coaching staff... it's going to change everything," said Flor Sabatini, Google's director of communications for Latin America.

The use of tools based on artificial intelligence promises to transform both sports analysis and the fan experience during the tournament.

Argentina arrives as a favorite for the 2026 World Cup

The Argentina team, led by Lionel Messi, appears once again among the main candidates for the title along with teams such as France and Spain.

The Albiceleste team will try to defend the crown obtained in Qatar 2022, now also supported by new technological tools that will seek to make a difference on and off the field.