On July 11th, Beijing time, the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup continued. Spain secured a 2-1 victory over Belgium with a late winning goal by Merino, successfully advancing to the World Cup semi-finals.
Following France's earlier qualification, Spain became the second team to reach the final four of this tournament. According to the schedule, the two European powerhouses will meet directly in the semi-finals, making the clash between France and Spain a focal point in the championship phase of this World Cup.
The match featured intense battles on both ends of the pitch. Spain took the lead first, but Belgium equalized, pushing the game towards extra time. Then, in the 88th minute, a long-range effort from outside the box by Cubarsi was parried but not controlled by the goalkeeper. Substitute Merino seized the rebound from the ensuing scramble to score, restoring Spain's lead and ultimately sealing the 2-1 result.
Notably, this marked Merino's second consecutive match-winning goal in the World Cup knockout stages. In the previous round of 16 against Portugal, he also scored the sole goal of the match during stoppage time, helping Spain return to the World Cup quarter-finals after a 16-year absence. Now, he has once again proven to be the decisive player, aiding Spain's return to the semi-finals after another 16-year gap.
With France and Spain both advancing to the final four, the championship landscape of this World Cup has become clearer. From last-minute winners to crucial refereeing decisions, from in-game adjustments to offensive and defensive details, as the tournament reaches its climax, a single action, a run, or a split-second decision can alter the destination of the trophy.
In what is hailed as the "first AI World Cup" in 2026, these critical moments are also being continuously participated in, recorded, and presented by AI technology.
As an official FIFA technology partner, Lenovo Group (LNVGY) has leveraged its end-to-end, comprehensive AI capabilities to build a complete technological foundation for this World Cup, covering tournament operations, team preparation, broadcast production, officiating explanations, and fan experiences. Currently, all technical operations for the events are running smoothly, with the relevant AI solutions continuing to serve the critical stages of the World Cup.
Regarding team preparation, the FIFA AI Pro football AI super-intelligent platform developed by Lenovo has been made available to all 48 participating teams. This platform can process millions of data points in real-time, analyze over 2,000 match metrics, compressing post-match analysis that previously took two days into under two hours. This assists coaching staff and analysts in quickly reviewing matches, studying opponents, and preparing tactics.
As the tournament enters the semi-final stage, preparation windows for teams have shortened further, and opponent analysis has become more granular. Latest data shows that, even as the event nears its conclusion, 14 teams still used FIFA AI Pro on a single day, completing 123 analytical queries. For France and Spain, set to meet in the semi-finals, how to dissect their opponent's strategies and formulate game plans within limited time will be a key variable in the next round.
In the realm of broadcast production and officiating explanations, the 3D digital human visualization solution developed by Lenovo has been deployed for all matches in this World Cup. This solution has created exclusive digital models for all 1,263 participating players, capable of recreating players' body dimensions, postures, movement trajectories, and spatial relationships through 3D animation. This provides more intuitive and transparent visual explanations for complex decisions like offside calls and physical contact.
Simultaneously, Lenovo's proprietary Referee View AI video enhancement system continues to capture key moments in the knockout stages. Through AI-powered real-time stabilization and image enhancement, the first-person perspective footage, which was previously highly unstable due to referees' rapid movement, has become steadier and clearer. This allows global fans to experience high-speed attacks, penalty box duels, and last-gasp goals up close. The Spain vs. Belgium match also featured multiple presentations from the referee's perspective.
It is reported that this system has applied for two core patents. It can compress the industry-common video processing latency of 6 to 15 seconds down to under 2 seconds, achieving an average of 50% and a peak of 70% stabilization effectiveness. It also keeps the proportion of cropped, shaky footage below 11%, enabling the referee's first-person view to truly meet the global broadcast standards of the World Cup.
For tournament operations, the Intelligent Command Center supported by Lenovo continues to serve FIFA's core operations, currently serving 150 to 200 users daily on average. The system generates operational daily reports with predictive planning via AI, and combined with capabilities like venue digital twins, it monitors tournament operations in real-time, helping operational teams conduct data analysis, event scheduling, and management decisions more efficiently.
Furthermore, Lenovo AI is continuously enhancing the fan viewing experience. To date, the Hologram interactive stations have facilitated a cumulative total of 6,202 selfie interactions, primarily deployed in VIP hotels and some stadiums. The holographic interaction featuring Mexico's World Cup mascot has become one of the most popular fan experiences. The Smart Wayfinding system continues to serve global fans, media, and event staff, ensuring the World Cup is more than just 90 minutes on the pitch, but a comprehensive digital experience covering travel, viewing, interaction, and services.
As the tournament progresses, technical support has entered a new phase. Currently, technical equipment demobilization has been completed for the Guadalajara, Monterrey, and San Francisco Bay Area zones. Related work is underway in an orderly manner for the Toronto, Houston, and Philadelphia zones, with overall technical operations for the event remaining stable.
From Merino's consecutive match-winning goals to France and Spain meeting in the semi-finals, the World Cup has entered the stage that truly decides the champion. Lenovo AI will continue to support team preparation, tournament operations, broadcast production, and fan experiences with more intelligent, efficient, and stable technological capabilities, safeguarding the critical final moments of the World Cup.
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