Innovación en Inteligencia Artificial y Nuevas Tecnologías en la Medicina del Deporte y el Fútbol
Abstract
Background: Innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) in sports medicine integrates algorithms, sensors, computer vision, predictive analytics and decision-support systems to improve athlete health, performance, safety and competitive fairness. Objective: To reconstruct the historical development of AI and emerging technologies in sport, assess applications, accuracy, benefits, limitations, ethical dilemmas and rule-related impact, with a focus on association football and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Methods: A rapid historical systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, IEEE Xplore and official FIFA, IFAB, UEFA, IOC and FIMS sources were searched from 1950 to July 2026. Results: Eighty-two sources were synthesized; 47 provided quantitative information. Mature applications included player tracking, video analysis, workload monitoring and officiating support. Injury prediction remained promising but vulnerable to overfitting, poor external validation and dataset shift. Conclusions: AI is most useful as an augmented-intelligence layer supporting clinical, coaching and refereeing expertise. Responsible adoption requires prospective validation, explainability, cybersecurity, athlete consent and clear accountability.
