Soccer’s governing body FIFA successfully used the innovative technology at the 2025 Club World Cup as an audition for next year’s World Cup finals.
With Canada, Mexico and the United States co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, soccer fans will be expecting the RefCam to feature like it already does for a plethora of US sports.
The RefCam comprises small cameras on the referee’s ears in order to capture the live action, which will be relayed to the match broadcasters and shown to supporters within the stadium.
Live viewing at matches is relayed as long as there’s no game-changing controversies, such as appeals for a penalty and disputed calls.
RefCams were first introduced at the 2024 Intercontinental Cup, in the German Bundesliga, at the Club World Cup and have since been tested in the English Premier League.
Derby d'Italia selected for Serie A trial
The high-profile contest between Juventus and Inter Milan is the only Serie A match selected to trial a RefCam, which will present a fresh dimension to supporters inside the Allianz Stadium with a true POV (Point of View) from the referee.
Referee Andrea Colombo will take charge of Saturday’s Serie A showpiece between Juventus and Inter, who will be tackling their first away match this term.
Former Inter manager Simone Inzaghi was frequently vocal about Colombo and claimed he was frustrated with his inconsistent decisions.
Chivu's goal is to stun Juve again
The Nerazzurri, who failed to win any silverware last term despite being in contention to land a treble in April. Inter have since replaced ex-Juventus target Inzaghi with Cristian Chivu, who arrived from Parma in the summer. It was Chivu who masterminded a shock success over Juventus last term to dent the Bianconeri's Champions League push.
Footage captures the unique perspective from the proximity experienced by the match official, with the option of high-impact replays.
This technology has already boosted fan engagement in Italian top-flight basketball. It was inaugurated at the 2024 Coppa Italia Final Eight and returned for the Lega Basket this year.
Refcam could become a permanent fixture in Serie A if the Derby d’Italia trial run proves successful, following in the footsteps of VAR that was initially introduced as an experiment.