Artificial Intelligence and the Metaverse in Sport: Emerging Trends and Future Directions from a Bibliometric Analysis

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) and metaverse technologies have found applications in areas such as athlete performance analysis, fan engagement and virtual event management, leading to a growing volume of research in these areas. The aim of this study is to reveal the bibliometric profile of scientific research on AI and metaverse in sports and to increase the knowledge at the intersection of these disciplines by analyzing scientific production and trends in this field. For this purpose, 255 publications on AI and metaverse in sports between 1992-2025 in the Web of Science (WoS) core collection in the period of October 2024 were examined by bibliometric analysis technique. As a result of the analysis, it was concluded that scientific studies on AI and metaverse in sports have increased over the years and attracted more and more attention. Especially the high scientific production in 2022 and the high citation rate in 2013 revealed the potential and importance of these fields. It is possible to say that this study is important in terms of identifying new research/application areas, emphasizing international collaborations, providing important information/data for academia/the sports industry, encouraging interdisciplinary approaches, guiding future studies and contributing to the relevant literature. In future studies, it is considered necessary to conduct more research on AI and metaverse in sports and to develop practical projects. In this context, it is recommended to conduct research to explain the effects of AI and metaverse technologies on sports and how these technologies can be used in sports organizations.