World Cup players to have lifelike ‘AI avatars’ for use in VAR offside decisions

• Innovation means every player being digitally scanned

• Infantino: Move will ensure more accurate decisions

Every player at the World Cup this summer will have his own physically accurate “AI avatar” that will be used in taking video assistant referee (VAR) decisions.

The innovation, which will involve every player being digitally scanned and leaves the possibility of size mattering in offside calls, was part of a package of ­technological ­measures announced by Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, as he made a keynote appearance at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas.