Cristiano Ronaldo will play another FIFA World Cup match in Portugal after his team beat Croatia 2-1 in the Round of 32, with technical skills playing a crucial role in the final match.Portugal secured victory through Ronaldo’s penalty and Goncalo Ramos’ header. But the biggest story came in the final minutes when Croatia were sent off late on after a VAR review.Croatia believed they had forced extra time when Josko Gvardiol scored in the 13th minute of stoppage time.However, the goal was disallowed after VAR reviewed whether the ball had made contact with Igor Matanovic before reaching another Croatian player who was standing on the sidelines.The decision depended on the technology developed in the match ball.Every Adidas Trionda ball used at the World Cup has a microchip that records every touch using a motion sensor. The system showed that there was little contact with Matanovic before the ball reached his teammate, ruling the player offside.To most of the spectators in the stadium, it appeared that Matanovic did not touch the ball. The decision left the Croatian players disappointed, with many fans questioning how much influence technology should have on the game.Television viewers were shown what was being analyzed. The replay looked vague, but the sensor data showed a small clip indicating contact with the ball.Norwegian referee Espen Eskas watched several replays before ruling out the goal. It led to almost the last action of the game.The decision sparked angry scenes inside the stadium, with Croatia supporters throwing plastic bottles onto the pitch as their World Cup campaign ended.Snicko, the technology used to detect contact with the ball, made its first appearance in football at the 2022 World Cup. However, it was rarely used to select such an important moment in the game.A microchip inside the ball provides instant information on the ball’s movement, speed, trajectory and every touch made by the players.Technology is very popular among cricket fans. Snicko is regularly used in cricket to determine whether a batsman has hit the ball to the wicketkeeper or slip fielders when it is difficult for the umpire to judge by sight and sound alone.By narrowing down visuals and matching them with audio and sensor data, executives can make informed decisions.Snicko was developed by English computer scientist Allan Plaskett in the mid-1990s and was first introduced to cricket broadcasts by Channel 4 in 1999.