This week's World Cup semi-finals feature some of the most physically gifted athletes on the planet. We admire the explosive acceleration of Kylian Mbappé, the artistry of Lionel Messi and the rugged resilience of Jordan Pickford. We marvel at their speed, endurance, agility and ability to perform under immense pressure. Less visible, however, is the technology ticking quietly in the background.
Modern football is no longer driven by talent alone. Increasingly, it is governed by data. From tracking running distance and sprint speed to monitoring heart rate, sleep quality and recovery, wearable technologies have become an essential part of elite sport.1–5 Teams are constantly collecting information to understand how players are performing and, perhaps more importantly, how to keep them healthy.
As I watch this evolution in football, I am struck by its parallels with healthcare. The principles driving elite sport and modern healthcare are remarkably similar: collect better information, understand individuals more precisely and intervene earlier. Many of the same technologies being used to optimise athlete performance are beginning to transform how we monitor patients, manage disease and move towards a more personalised approach to medicine.
Every athlete is different
One lesson elite football teams learnt long ago is that there is no such thing as an ‘average player’. Two athletes may have similar fitness levels yet respond very differently to training loads, recovery programmes, travel demands or injury risks. This is why teams increasingly rely on wearable devices.
Rather than relying on assumptions or broad averages, coaches and medical staff can now access real-time information about individual players. If a player's workload is rising too quickly or early signs of fatigue begin to emerge, adjustments can be made before minor issues develop into significant problems.6–9
In many respects, this is the logic of personalised medicine: replacing one-size-fits-all treatment with decisions tailored to the individual. Healthcare is moving, albeit gradually, in the same direction.
What sport can teach healthcare
Traditionally, healthcare has relied on snapshots. A patient attends a clinic appointment, measurements are taken and decisions are made using information captured at a single point in time. Yet health does not stand still between appointments. Symptoms change. Medication adherence varies. The reality of daily life often escapes the clinical record.
In the world of football, teams already harness real-time data to help players stay at their best. During the 2026 World Cup, the Adidas match ball has featured an embedded motion sensor transmitting positional data hundreds of times per second, adding a new dimension to performance analytics.7–9 Meanwhile, GPS performance vests have become standard equipment at the elite level, drawing fresh attention for their role in high-stakes tournament football.10
Similar technology can be used in healthcare as wearable technologies help to bridge the gap between the reality of daily life and the clinical record. Smartwatches, activity trackers, glucose monitors, blood pressure devices and other digital health tools now allow patients and healthcare professionals to monitor health continuously rather than intermittently.10–14 The result is a richer picture of how health changes in everyday life, rather than a series of isolated clinical observations.
For example, a patient with cardiovascular disease may detect changes in heart rhythm before symptoms become severe. Someone with diabetes can monitor glucose levels continuously throughout the day, while patients with respiratory conditions can generate real-world data that gives clinicians a clearer understanding of disease control. Rather than relying on isolated snapshots, healthcare is beginning to benefit from a continuous stream of information.
Prevention or treatment
One of the most valuable aspects of athlete monitoring is its ability to identify risks before they become injuries. Elite football clubs invest heavily in prevention because they understand a simple truth: keeping players healthy is far less costly – and far more effective - than treating injuries once they occur. The same principle is beginning to reshape healthcare, which has traditionally focussed on treating illness once it becomes apparent. Wearable technologies are now creating an opportunity to shift that balance towards prevention. Subtle changes in activity levels, sleep patterns, heart rate variability and other physiological measures can provide early warning signs that health is beginning to decline.
The implications are profound. A chronic condition could be monitored closely enough to reveal deterioration weeks before hospitalisation becomes necessary. Irregular heart rhythms could be detected before they trigger serious complications. Individuals could be supported in making lifestyle changes before disease takes hold. This is where wearables become more than consumer gadgets. They become tools for proactive, personalised healthcare.
Data alone is not enough
Of course, collecting information is only the beginning. Football teams generate enormous amounts of data, but its true value lies in how effectively that information is interpreted and translated into action. The same applies in healthcare. A wearable device can generate thousands of data points each day, but without context, much of that information has limited value. The challenge is not simply collecting more data but transforming it into meaningful insights. This is where advances in artificial intelligence and analytics become increasingly important.
By identifying patterns and highlighting potential concerns, technology can help healthcare professionals focus their attention where it matters most. Yet, the goal is not to replace clinical judgement. Technology can provide information at a scale and speed that humans cannot match; healthcare professionals provide interpretation, experience and the understanding of individual circumstances. As in many fields, the greatest benefits will come from combining both.
Learning from the best
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of wearable technology is the role it gives individuals in managing their own health. Elite athletes are deeply engaged in understanding their performance. They know their strengths, recognise early warning signs and actively participate in decisions about training, recovery and preparation.
At the 2026 World Cup, twelve nations have been utilising GPS tracking systems from STATSports, with players wearing performance vests that monitor physical data in real time, including speed, heart rate and distance. This continuous feedback loop allows players to become more attuned to their own bodies – adjusting training loads, recovery strategies and preparation based on personalised, real-time data.8–10
Patients can benefit from a similar level of involvement. When people can see how exercise affects their health, how sleep influences wellbeing or how lifestyle changes improve outcomes, they are more likely to become active participants in their own care.11,12 Healthcare shifts from something delivered to patients towards something developed with them. That change may prove just as important as the technology itself.
Looking ahead
The 2026 FIFA World Cup offers a glimpse of what may lie ahead. GPS tracking, performance analytics and wearable sensors that were once the preserve of a handful of professional athletes are fast becoming a standard part of sport.
Innovations developed in elite sport have a long history of moving into everyday life. The challenge is to apply those same principles more broadly – to help people maintain their health and live healthier, longer lives.
The combination of wearable technology, remote monitoring, advanced analytics and personalised medicine has the potential to transform how we think about health. The future may not be defined by treating disease after it occurs. Instead, it may be shaped by understanding individuals more deeply, monitoring health continuously and intervening earlier. And that is a future worth watching.
By Dr Azhaar Ashraf
References
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- Brückner S, Sadare O, Fesl S, Scheibe M, Lang C, Gilbert S. Attitudes of healthcare professionals and researchers toward wearable and app derived patient generated health data. NPJ Digit Med. 2025;8(1):186.
- Almukhtar, Z., Eappen, P. (2026). Wearables in Personalized and Precision Medicine. In: Eappen, P., Vajjhala, N.R., Guo, R., Gunn, V. (eds) Advancing Healthcare with the Medical Internet of Things. Health Informatics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-23933-4_12
- Bhaltadak V, Ghewade B, Yelne S. A Comprehensive Review on Advancements in Wearable Technologies: Revolutionizing Cardiovascular Medicine. Cureus. 2024;16(5):e61312.
- Mishra, D.P., Sahu, P.K (2026). The Potential of Wearable Sensor Technologies in Enhancing Personalized Health Monitoring and Management. Biomedical Materials & Devices 4, 3201–3227.
- https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/05/health/world-cup-teams-fitness-trackers-wellness [accessed July 2026].
- https://www.iotinsider.com/industries/smart-world/game-of-throw-ins-the-sensors-semiconductors-and-smart-tech-inside-the-fifa-world-cup-2026-ball/ [accessed July 2026].
- https://innotechtoday.com/8-technologies-turning-fifa-world-cup-2026-into-the-most-advanced-sporting-event-ever-held/ [accessed July 2026].
- https://www.ifm.org/articles/wearable-devices-technologies-management-prevention-of-chronic-disease [accessed July 2026].
- https://www.sportsdunia.com/football-analysis/why-footballers-wear-gps-vests [accessed July 2026].
- https://www.healtharc.io/blogs/wearable-devices-their-role-in-remote-patient-monitoring/ [accessed July 2026].
- https://jdhai.luminiseditorial.com/index.php/jdhai/article/view/14 [accessed July 2026].
