Croatia’s disappointing exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026 against Portugal came down to one of VAR’s most dramatic decisions, with FIFA explaining that advanced football technology played a major role in preventing lengthy suspensions.Croatia looked to have made it 2-2 in the 103rd minute of their Round of 32 match in Toronto when Josko Gvardiol headed in from close range with a cross in the box. The goal sparked wild celebrations before VAR intervened and ruled it offside. The dispute centered on whether Croatian forward Igor Matanovic made contact with the ball before it reached Mario Pasalic, who was standing in the penalty area. Initially, it appeared that Pasalic received the ball after a deflection from Portuguese midfielder Renato Veiga, which would have saved the goal. However, VAR concluded that Matanovic had made a slight touch earlier.
How football technology changed the future of Croatia
According to the ruling, Pasalic was on the bench when Matanovic made contact with the ball, meaning his support for Gvardiol did not stop.FIFA later confirmed that the critical touch was detected using the Connected Ball Technology installed inside the Adidas Trionda match ball.“According to the information provided by the Connected Ball Technology inside the @adidasfootball Trionda, the official ball of the @FIFAWorldCup, it was confirmed that a connection was made by #20 Igor Matanović of Croatia in preparation for a goal against Portugal, allowing the referee to accurately determine his side and disallow the goal.“The IMU sensors located inside the Trionda ball can detect the slightest contact, shown to the viewers on the radio as a” snapshot of the heart rate, and allow officials to make quick and accurate decisions,” FIFA Media shared on X.Croatia took Ivan Perisic’s lead early in the second half before Cristiano Ronaldo equalized with his third goal of the tournament. Goncalo Ramos then scored the winner in stoppage time, heading home Rafael Leao’s cross to send Portugal through to the last 16.
