AI and football: When fans get lost between logic and 'overturning the game'

In an era where artificial intelligence is gradually infiltrating every field, from medicine, finance to art, there is a seemingly simple playground that gives AI a 'headache': football.

Fans check football results using AI tool - Photo: DONG HAI

Imagine a June 2025 evening, in a crowded coffee shop in Hanoi , many fans are glued to the big screen. The Champions League final between representatives from Serie A and Ligue 1 is reaching its climax. On the phone, the betting application flashes a notification from AI: "Representatives from Series A have an 82% chance of winning".

But when the striker from the French team made a spectacular long-range shot in the 90+3 minute, the whole cafe exploded. AI was wrong, and the fans were immersed in the whirlwind of emotions of the round ball.

The story of AI and football begins here, where logic collides with dramatic "turnarounds".

AI cannot "read" football yet

A game of many variables

Unlike basketball or baseball, where scores are scored continuously and probabilities can be easily calculated, soccer is a sport where the score is hard to predict. A game lasts 90 minutes, but all it takes is a slip, an own goal, or even a controversial VAR decision to upset any predictions.

With hundreds of constantly changing variables, from tactics to psychology, from physical fitness to weather, an AI model - no matter how powerful - would have a hard time capturing them all.

When Emotion Overtakes Algorithms

Players are people, not data. AI can calculate shot-on-target percentage, ball control, successful passes… but it cannot “read” the human heart.

Responding to Tuoi Tre Online, a commentator said that   A player can be in top form, but just one sleepless night due to family issues, or internal conflict within the team, and all the parameters will become meaningless. Fighting spirit, pride in a derby, or unexpected inspiration from the stands... are data that no sensor can measure.

Fans need to be careful with AI predictions.

Machine learning, but not everything

AI learns from data. But football data is full of holes. What can be collected, such as passes, shots, speed of movement... is only the tip of the iceberg. The hidden part, such as the tacit understanding between players, the tactical calculations in the coach's head, or the feeling of fear in the eyes of a goalkeeper... AI cannot do anything about.

Not to mention that current AI models tend to be good with old data, but flounder when faced with new things. And football, as we know, is full of surprises, from Leicester winning the Premier League, to Saudi Arabia defeating Argentina at the 2022 World Cup...

A game for humans and by humans

No one can program luck. A shot that hits a post, or a ball that skims the edge of the net can change an entire result, or even a season. Even with VAR, referees are still human, so a split-second error, a wrong decision, or a sudden downpour that makes the pitch slippery... things can change.

AI can analyze, predict, assist in coaching, and even “draw” optimal tactics. But football is a game of passion and emotion. Fans can take advantage of AI, but they should not rely entirely on it, no matter how logical it may be.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ai-va-bong-da-khi-nguoi-ham-mo-lac-giua-logic-va-lat-keo-2025060411413344.htm