What Will Football Be Like In The Next 50 Years?
It is a reality that football is a passion for many people globally. The magical soccer ball creates history for countries and people. It is a reason for people to be happy or sad.
It’s undeniable that the current form of football wasn’t the same as its beginning. The game that dates back to China in the second century BC has evolved and become an entirely different version now. Nowadays, football has a set of rules and restrictions that cover all the details of the game.
FIFA is working on changing the rules periodically to establish a fair game environment and attract more countries into football as it is one of their desires. Some of these changes are being criticised for reducing the sense of excitement and only being eligible to use in specific countries. However, FIFA emphasises that all changes are being implemented in the game’s best interest and the fans.
Now the question is, what do we expect to change in football in the next 50 years? In this article, we will talk about the future of football, how it will change, and what are the factors that will change football.
VAR And EPTS
Technology is becoming an essential part of our lives, and nothing in our daily activities comes without some kind of digital interference. Football is not an exception as well. Technology will affect the game, and it will be a milestone for the improvement of the game.
We have already seen the great effects of using advanced technologies like video assistant referees (VAR) and electronic performance and tracking systems (EPTS) on football players and matches.
The VAR technology is literally a game-changer. It ensures the highest standards for accuracy and fairness, especially in rivalries. On the other hand, EPTS is a high-end technology that uses wearables and cameras to improve and track players’ performances both individually and as a team.
More Technologies
Of course, in the upcoming years, we will be waiting for more advanced technologies to get into the game besides the ones we have now. Enhanced sensors and tiny cameras connected to the ball and the players’ shirts will make fans use VR and AR technologies to be more engaged with what they are watching. They will be able to follow the match from their favourite players’ sight and feel more involved in that way.
It is also predictable that improvements in artificial intelligence (AI) will make non-human referees possible. Robots are becoming more powerful and precise than any human being, so that this technology will decrease the referees’ mistake rates. With the help of high-end cameras and intelligent robots powered by advanced algorithms, decisions will be quicker, more accurate, and fairer than before.
Video Games
Obviously, new generations are getting more into video and online games on many platforms than the older generations. Since the video games industry is hitting higher financial numbers year by year, FIFA and football associations are focusing their efforts on having a place in the market share and using these platforms as promotional tools.
Users enjoy playing their favorite teams on platforms like PlayStation and Xbox, challenging their friends online and feeling the thrill of winning a match as if they were real football players. On the other hand, the sports betting industry is rising and attracting more football fans to experience high adrenaline levels.
In the upcoming years, we will see football teams getting more involved in the online gaming business since their virtual copies of actual teams will be a valuable promotion for them. However, you might need to pay extra to choose a team like Real Madrid or Manchester United, and much more to have top players like Messi or Ronaldo in your lineup.
One last important thing to note is with the rise of cryptocurrency as a payment method at online platforms, sports betting websites, and crypto casinos, football teams and associations will seek to guarantee their market share through advertisements and their brands’ copyrights.
Conclusion
No one exactly knows how football will evolve in the next 50 years, but more changes are expected. It is essential to protect the balance between new technological advancements and traditional sides since most fans want to see more simplicity on the pitch when the teams want to keep the industrialisation of the sport.