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Technology in the 2018 World Cup

This July, I traveled to Russia to attend the FIFA World Cup. I had been to the previous World Cup in Brazil in 2014 and I was curious to see how advancements in technology would play a role in one of the world’s biggest sporting events set to take place across 11 host cities in the biggest country on Earth.

Months prior to the start of the tournament, I applied for a FAN ID which was required of all spectators and also served as my travel visa to Russia. This was a new requirement for fans which was not in place for the World Cup in Brazil. The Russian travel visa application process has been known to be a bit of a nightmare for American travelers to obtain.

The FAN ID allowed me to bypass the usual tourist visa application and fee and after a few minutes answering some basic questions and submitting a photo online, my application was submitted electronically. In just two weeks, the FAN ID arrived in the mail from Russia and I was all set to travel to Russia!

The FAN ID was a laminated badge which had my photo, name written in the Roman alphabet, and a Cyrillic translation of my name printed on the front side, with my passport number and other travel visa details printed on the back side. Russian fans were also required to obtain a FAN ID to attend matches as FIFA and the Russian government wanted to account for all spectators in attendance as an added security measure. The FAN ID also came with a lanyard that matched the illustrated theme of the tickets and tournament.

FIFA designed a few different apps in preparation for the event. The most popular of these apps was the FIFA app created to share live score updates, team news, and video highlights.

FIFA also created the Welcome 2018 app which was the most travel friendly app, outlining visitor info, accommodations, museums and landmarks to see, restaurant recommendations, a list of sports bars, and activities for each of the 11 host cities.

You could bookmark places to visit and even download a selected city guide for offline use, similar to the Trip Advisor app. The app also allowed fans to review their orders and provided a map of key transportation hubs, stadiums, parking lots, FAN ID centers, and even embassy locations integrated with a route builder to help visitors better plan their stay.

There was also a Transport Guide app specifically created to assist fans with travel logistics and train bookings to and from the matches. After entering all FAN ID and ticketing information, one could see the seats available in each train car and reserve the exact seat or sleeper berth in an overnight train. I presented my FAN ID to the train attendant on the platform in Moscow and after verifying my photo and scanning the QR code of the train ticket on my phone, was permitted to board. This train was unique in that it only carried passengers attending the World Cup match which created quite an incredible atmosphere! The train was modern, clean, and comfortable and we arrived in Nizhny Novgorod just four hours later.

The free shuttle from the train station dropped us off outside the first set of entry gates and it was about a half mile walk before we were able to see the stadium.

There were various entry gates to enter the stadium and fans were restricted to enter via the gate listed on their ticket. FIFA enlisted the help of Austin based HID Global to manufacture over three million smart tickets embedded with RFID inlay and various security and hologram design features to deter counterfeits. In the event that someone lost their physical ticket, they could go to a ticketing center and FIFA could verify that they were the ticket holder in their system, cancel the lost ticket, and issue a new one which would invalidate the lost ticket. The ticket was also personalized with the ticket holder's name and FAN ID number printed on the front as an extra security measure.

There were fans forming circles juggling soccer balls, mimes interacting with the crowd, and people offering to paint Uruguayan and French flags on the side of one’s cheek. We lined up to the first security checkpoint where staff asked us to present our physical match ticket and FAN ID. We flashed our credentials to the guards on post and were able to walk around the perimeter of the stadium grounds.

We lined up to the first security checkpoint where staff asked us to present our physical match ticket and FAN ID. We flashed our credentials to the guards on post and were able to walk around the perimeter of the stadium grounds. We approached another checkpoint which required all bags be screened on a conveyor belt and all fans to pass through metal detectors. After passing the metal detectors, everyone got an additional hand wand screening and security seemed more thorough than at a typical airport.

Many fans had worn costumes and those whose faces were fully painted were instructed to wipe their faces clean, adding to our already lengthy wait time.

After collecting our belongings, we walked over to lineup for the third round of security. This entailed several points of entry blocked by full-length turnstiles which granted entry based on two validations. The first of these was the scanning of the paper ticket.

Once I received the green light validating the authenticity of my ticket, I was instructed to stand before the turnstile and look directly into a small dark screen concealing a security camera. The camera captured my image and ran it against my biometric profile already stored in in FIFA’s FAN ID database.

A few months prior, I had dinner with a group of friends and was introduced to a person who was part of the team responsible for developing the facial recognition technology implemented at the turnstile checkpoint. She had mentioned that the biometric data would also be cross-checked against CCTV and a database of known troublemakers to thwart any potential disruptions to the match and add an extra level of security.

Since I had only my cheeks painted, the face paint did not interfere with the facial recognition software. Those who had painstakingly covered their entire visage with paint were required to remove it because it would alter one’s image and prevent the software from working correctly. The light turned green and I was able to pass through the turnstile. Our trio regrouped after the final checkpoint and we raced up the stairs and into the stadium to try and locate our seats and catch the tail end of the national anthems!

There were over 43,000 fans in attendance and many of them, including us, were…thirsty! At halftime, we got up to check out the concession stand. Each of us purchased a Budweiser which was poured into a commemorative plastic cup that had the host city name and date of the quarterfinal match printed on it.

We settled back into our seats in time for the second half and as the whistle blew, we noticed that our plastic beer cups lit up from the bottom, illuminating our drinks in red. The stadium was filled with the glow of red cups! I would later learn that these cups were outfitted with small microphones which responded to loud noise (i.e. crowd cheers) and triggered the OLED lights.

Video Assistant Referee (VAR) may have been the most controversial technology implemented into the tournament. VAR was a control room filled with monitors where a team of FIFA referees could review any penalties, goals or questionable calls. Many fans wondered if the replay technology would interrupt the flow of play. Ultimately, I think most viewers came to support the use of VAR to ensure correct calls and fair play.

One final technological newcomer to this year’s World Cup was the official match ball made by Adidas. The Adidas Telstar was embedded with an NFC chip which assured an authentic product, provided specific information about the ball including GPS tracking, and also offered users exclusive content and contests when used in conjunction with a smart phone.

The introduction of the FAN ID and the ability to reserve train travel in conjunction with the ticket booking were particularly impressive innovations given the scale of the event as they truly created a seamless experience.

Overall, these innovations certainly enhanced my visit to Russia as both a fan and a tourist and gave me something to think about as I attend future events.

Created By
Carolyn Yao
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