FIFA data project set to analyze games at World Cup

(Image: AP)

Huge amounts of World Cup match data will be shared with teams, media and fans in a performance analysis project outlined by FIFA on Friday.

Project leader Arsène Wenger said the quick release of statistics, graphics and video from Qatar aims to help “everyone to better understand the game.”

Fans and viewers can soon be experts in game metrics such as “possession control,” “line breaks,” “expected goals” and “defensive line height and team length” with videos to explain them on a specialist coaching website created by FIFA.

“Enhanced football intelligence will be our blueprint for how we analyze football in the future,” said Wenger, the former Arsenal manager who is now FIFA head of global soccer development.

FIFA has teamed game analysts working from a project base in Britain with data scientists and engineers analyzing the 64 World Cup games being played in Qatar.

“Every match will have its own unique set of in-match and post-match enhanced football intelligence visuals presented as augmented reality and traditional graphics,” FIFA said in a statement. “These new statistics break down each area of the game into fine detail and provide operational definitions and multiple video examples to clearly define each action.”