A goal scored on the pitch appears on a screen in a Dubai cafe within seconds. That gap, barely noticeable to fans, is the product of fibre-optic networks, cloud platforms, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity teams working together across continents during every Fifa World Cup match.
Footage from the pitch travels through fibre-optic networks and is processed by cloud platforms almost instantly. Artificial intelligence analyses the data, and interconnected data centres route the footage to billions of screens worldwide. The result is that goals, replays, live statistics and player tracking reach televisions, smartphones and tablets in near real time.
The journey from pitch to screen
Jeremy Deutsch, managing director for the Middle East and North Africa at Equinix, said the process depends on several systems working in concert. "It is a complete ecosystem. It is a journey from the pitch to the screen," he said, noting that broadcasters, internet providers, cloud platforms and data centres must all move information across continents in real time.
Deutsch compared data centres to "the kitchen of the digital world," the place where internet providers, cloud platforms and content services come together before broadcasts are sent out from facilities located closest to viewers. He stressed how little room there is for error. "If any part of that supply chain breaks, you don't get the experience. You don't want to watch a penalty five minutes after it happens," he said.
Artificial intelligence also plays a direct role in the game itself. It helps power the Video Assistant Referee system and analyses player movements, ball speed and possession statistics that appear alongside the broadcast.
Why the World Cup attracts cybercriminals
Dr Claude Fachkha, a cybercrime expert and associate professor at the University of Dubai, said global sporting events are especially attractive targets because they combine huge online audiences, valuable digital infrastructure and millions of financial transactions in a short window. "Where you see a crowd, you will also find criminals," he said.
Among the threats are distributed denial-of-service attacks designed to overwhelm online services during the tournament, along with fake streaming websites built to steal passwords or payment details. Cybercriminals often imitate legitimate broadcasters and streaming platforms to lure fans onto convincing fake sites, where malware can be installed or personal information stolen.
Fachkha said the excitement around live matches makes fans easy targets. "People are excited. They want to watch the match immediately, so many click the first streaming link they find without checking whether it is legitimate. That is exactly what attackers are counting on," he said. He added that any disruption pushes viewers elsewhere quickly: "If a live broadcast goes down, people immediately switch to another platform."
Some attacks are not about stealing data at all, but about hijacking attention by briefly replacing a legitimate broadcast with unauthorised images or messages.