According to reports, Pierluigi Collina, head of FIFA’s Referees Committee, says this initiative will provide fans with a new experience of recorded footage.

FIFA has selected 117 referees for the Club World Cup and announced that referees will wear body cameras. Stricter rules to prevent time-wasting by goalkeepers will also be enforced during the tournament, held from June 14 to July 13 in the USA.

FIFA’s Referees Committee has chosen representatives from 41 countries: 35 main referees, 58 assistant referees, and 24 VAR officials for the competition, featuring teams like Benfica and Porto.

FIFA explained that the referees’ cameras will allow fans to see unprecedented angles of on-field events. Additionally, if a goalkeeper holds the ball for more than eight seconds, a corner kick will be awarded to the opponent instead of an indirect free kick.

Collina stated: “We believe this is a great opportunity to give viewers a new experience of footage from angles never seen before. This initiative also aids referee training, as reviewing what referees see is crucial for analyzing their performance.”

Collina highlighted the historic significance of selecting referees for the expanded 32-team Club World Cup, saying: “The selected referees include those honored for the first time, so I’m sure they’re all excited. Expectations are higher, and maintaining standards is more challenging. But we are working hard.”