October 30: Argentina’s top flight will introduce semi-automated offside technology from December as the Argentine Football Association (AFA) expands its technology partnership with Genius Sports.
The system will debut in the final of the Clausura Professional League on December 12 before rolling out to the entire competition from next summer.
Genius will install computer vision cameras in Argentina’s top-tier stadiums, with its GeniusIQ platform tracking players and the ball in real-time to identify potential offsides and generate 3D graphics for VAR officials, broadcasters and stadium screens.
The technology automatically detects where the ball is played and identifies the relevant attacker and defender, eliminating much of the manual drawing and debate currently required during VAR reviews.
“Argentine football fans deserve the best matchday experience and semi-automated offside technology is a crucial solution to making quick and accurate decisions that keep them informed of what’s happening in the match,” said AFA President Claudio Tapia.
The deal expands Genius’ officiating footprint in Latin American soccer.
Its semi-automated system already works in Brazil’s Serie A and Mexico’s Liga MX, while Genius says its technology has also been deployed in the Premier League and Belgian Pro League. Liga MX introduced the system during its 2026 Clausura as part of a wider deal covering officiating, performance analysis, streaming enhancements and sponsorship technology.
The Argentine model will be very similar. In addition, the same tracking infrastructure being installed for offside decisions can be used for training data, broadcast graphics and other fan-facing products, giving the AFA another tool in its utility belt to build additional services around a single camera network.
“Football is entering a new era where the same technology that helps referees make better decisions can also transform the way the game is analysed, streamed and experienced,” said Steven Burton, director of business strategy at Genius Sports.
“Our work with AFA is another important milestone in this journey.”
Genius and the AFA have already been working together for some time: it has official data and betting video rights in multiple Argentine competitions under an agreement first signed in 2021.
Financial terms of their latest partnership extension were not disclosed.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at (email protected)
