With over 250 million players and 3.5 billion fans in over 200 countries, soccer is the most popular sport in the world.
As a result, many tech companies have started to emerge in the sport.
Many teams and leagues globally have also built their respective innovation hubs and accelerators including the the MLS, UEFA, and FC Barcelona.
Here are a few stats to consider:
- The most valuable teams in the world include: Real Madrid CF($6.07B), Manchester United($6B), FC Barcelona ($5.51B), and Liverpool Football Club($5.29B)
- The most valuable MLS franchises include: Los Angeles Football Club ($1.15B), Atlanta United FC($1.05B), Inter Miami CF($1.02B), and LA Galaxy($1B)
- All 29 teams in the MLS are worth almost $20B together
- Inter Miami CF has increased 74% in value in just one year after Messi’s arrival
- The average NWSL team is now worth $66M led by Angel City FC at $180M
The 2022 World Cup was a great indicator of the technology that is happening in the sport.
We saw virtual integrations and fan experiences, motion tracking sensors, AI-based semi-automated offside technology, and advanced stadium cooling technology.
With the 2026 games only 2 years away, let’s look at a few companies that might be front and center in the next couple of years.
Here Are 10 Soccer Tech Startups To Watch Out For
Oliver
Founders: Agustin Rozada
Website: https://oliversports.ai/
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Year Founded: 2019
What they do: Oliver Sports is the leading provider of performance tech for athletes of all levels. Its AI-powered solutions help athletes to improve performance, prevent injuries, and connect with other athletes.
Total Raised: $1.9M
Tonsser
Founders: Simon Hjære, Peter Holm
Website: http://www.tonsser.com/
Location: Multiple
Year Founded: 2014
What they do: Tonsser is a popular football app and social network that empowers football players to showcase their talent, unlock their potential, and feel like professionals – regardless of level.
Total Raised: €9.8M
Celebreak
Founders: Daniel Foth, Sebastian Foth
Website: https://celebreak.eu/
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Year Founded: 2015
What they do: Celebreak is an app that allows players to play football in cities how and when they want.
Total Raised: €1.8M
Train Effective
Founders: Nick Humpfries
Website: https://www.traineffective.com/en/
Location: London, UK
Year Founded: 2017
What they do: Train Effective is an online football training platform democratizing access to elite coaching.
Total Raised: £400K
SciSports
Founders: Vincent van Renesse van Duivenbode
Website: https://www.scisports.com/
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Year Founded: 2013
What they do: SciSports enables football professionals to achieve their goals in recruitment and performance analysis daily.
Total Raised: €4.2M
Prematch
Founders: Lukas Röhle, Fiete Grünter
Website: https://www.prematchapp.de/
Location: Cologne, Germany
Year Founded: 2021
What they do: Prematch is a media platform for German amateur soccer. As a mobile “go-to-place” for all soccer topics below the professional area, Prematch offers the latest news, results, and statistics about the biggest passion of the largest community in Germany.
Total Raised: €4.1M
OneFootball
Founders: Lucas von Cranach
Website: https://company.onefootball.com/
Location: Berlin, Germany
Year Founded: 2008
What they do: OneFootball is a media platform for mobile-first fans, with breaking news, highlight clips, and live streaming.
Total Raised: $442M
Kognia Sports
Founders: Maurici A. López-Felip
Website: https://www.kogniasports.com/
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Year Founded: 2019
What they do: Kognia Sports Intelligence is a Barcelona-based startup building a next-generation soccer analytics platform. Using external video feeds from the games, Kognia’s technology automatizes and conducts real-time and post-match tactical analysis of football games.
Total Raised: Yes but not disclosed
Veo Technologies
Founders: Henrik Teisbæk
Website: http://www.veo.co/
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Year Founded: 2015
What they do: Veo lets players record sports matches without a camera operator. Automatic recording and video editing enable coaches and players to watch and share their sport.
Total Raised: $113M
JuniStat
Founders: Gleb Shaportov, Victor Alekseev
Website: https://junistat.com
Location: Santiago, Chile
Year Founded: 2020
What they do: JuniStat helps soccer clubs and associations assess player performance and growth using smartphone AI-powered tests.
Total Raised: $560K