As spectator on the tribune in the stadium on live football game is very exciting to see all what is happening around the field, the experience is not limited by the impressive probably 4K large high quality image over the TV when sitting on the couch at home. Being part of +45,000 people around on place is totally different.

Let´s explore easy facts related with technology (network, audio, viedeo, etc) when attending the México vs Ecuador game as part of the preparation for the next 2026 World cup.

Getting in the stadium

From the beginning in the outside area of the Akron stadium there are some check points, the first is a security filter that request all the people to show their “Fan ID” which is a QR code that must to be download previously on your phone, it is a registration process to provide personal information (name, phone number and a selfie),  after that then there is the  ticket validation, once more there is a QR code to scan from the mobile phone.

There are several security cameras on hallways and corridors, there are more cameras on the tribunes, the digital signage displays on the food court, restrooms, information kiosk, etc.

Finally, you are on your seat, there is ambient background music, led displays around the field, and the large main screens at the top of the stadium. There are also dozens of photographers and journalist around the field, some are using professional cameras on a tripod and some other with compact SLR type, there are also some other just using their phones to make live streams or just recording.

The best seating view

The game has started, there are some announcements over the sound system which are hard to understand because the crowd noise, it replicates the same message on the LED screen. There is a fault and the referee needs to verify the play over the VAR, (Video Assistance Referee) he runs to the middle of the field to watch the review several times, there are more than one video perspective that show the same from different angles that allows the referee to take the best decision, he runs again to the mid field, turn on the diadem wireless microphone and confirms that there was a fault and it is a penalty against México.

Before the penalty at the beginning of the game México scored, there were flashing lights music and fire behind the goal.

There was a music laser video show during the half time, the lights of the stadiums and the suites were attenuated, there were fireworks, many people were capturing the moment.

Poor Mobile phone coverage

I wanted to share those fireworks it on Instagram just few minutes later but my telephone didn´t have signal, then I tried to use the wireless network of the stadium but it didn´t work either, it happens commonly where thousands of people try to make calls, livestreams, send videos, images this large volume of content overwhelms the network's capacity

Well, not all the time there is a happy ending, that little fail in the technology changes the user experience, I don´t know if there was an isolate event or it happens all the time, I know that  infrastructure for telecommunication on large venues is a serious economic thing, let’s hope that in the near future this can become a reality so we can share moments immediately as we do in every other place.

Security is all

The user experience and the comfort are important in large venues, but the most important thing is that in case of an emergency, any security system in any large venue don’t fail because saving lives is the priority, at this point there is no place for failures, I invite  all the stadiums and arenas to verify their evacuation, notification and security systems periodically