Chinese-made large LED screens are shining at multiple venues of the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, demonstrating the tangible research and development capabilities of Chinese enterprises.
The LED perimeter screens at the World Cup stadiums, manufactured by a company from Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, are made up of tiny LED lamp beads and are only 10 centimeters thick.
Yet they are both hard and soft, sturdy enough to withstand high-speed ball hitting impacts during matches, yet flexible enough to prevent injuries even when professional football players directly collide with them.
"Would you like to see how much force our machine can simulate from professional football players? The extreme test is hitting the screen at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour. That's already a tremendous amount of impact energy. Many of our structural components, including the face cover and base shell, actually far exceed the requirements of FIFA," said Wen Longjiang, an engineer of Absen Optoelectronics Huizhou Branch.
LED screens are illuminated by lamp beads spaced just a few millimeters apart. But achieving both durability against kicks and safety for fast-running players relies on an entire research and development platform for mechanical and material analysis. Behind the company's winning of the bid for the event lies solid research and development strength.
At this year's World Cup, funnel-shaped screens installed above the stands at Vancouver's stadium in Canada, designed to give spectators a better view, must remain clearly visible even under strong outdoor light and must never experience power outages.
"The football stadium covers a huge area, and with the ceiling construction, some spots don't have great load-bearing capacity. So the lightweight structural design, as well as the final installation, are both very challenging. We basically had to research and proceed step by step at the same time," said Ding Chongbin, president of Shenzhen Absen Optoelectronic Co., Ltd.
With no previous cases to refer to, the overseas service team worked around the clock in three shifts alongside the domestic research and development and manufacturing teams. Before the venue acceptance deadline, this super-large funnel-shaped screen was successfully and securely suspended above Vancouver's stadium.
This LED company has had a long-standing relationship with the World Cup, stretching back more than a decade.
This year, however, they are no longer just hardware suppliers. They are now shaping the stadium atmosphere. Their integrated solution, which combines sound, lighting and electrical systems, marks a major breakthrough at this year's World Cup.
It proves that Chinese LED manufacturers can not only make hardware, but also provide the intelligence behind it.
"To be honest, we have relatively competitive advantages in hardware, because our entire industrial chain is concentrated in China. But winning the bid for such an important event gives all of us confidence that we can increasingly become true system solution providers in the future," said Wang Haiping, general manager of the global brand department of Shenzhen Unilumin Group Co., Ltd.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicked off on June 11 at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium, will run until July 19. This edition, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, features 48 teams and 104 matches for the first time ever.
Chinese LED screens shine at 2026 FIFA World Cup
