Croatia’s 2026 World Cup journey came to a dramatic and controversial end in the Round of 32, with FIFA issuing a statement to clarify a pivotal VAR decision that disallowed a late equalizer against Portugal. The call, made possible by the advanced Connected Ball Technology, saw Croatia eliminated after a 2-1 defeat at Toronto Stadium.

The incident unfolded in the 13th minute of stoppage time. With Portugal leading 2-1 thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo (68th-minute penalty) and Goncalo Ramos, Croatia believed they had found a lifeline. A cross into the box led to Josko Gvardiol finding the net past Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa, sparking initial celebrations. However, Norwegian referee Espen Eskas was instructed to review the goal via VAR.

The review focused on the build-up to Gvardiol’s strike. It was determined that Croatia’s number 20, Igor Matanovic, had made a slight touch on the cross. Following this touch, the ball fell to Mario Pasalic, who was in an offside position. Pasalic then played the ball to Gvardiol, leading to the goal. After a lengthy review, Eskas announced to the crowd, “Croatia player, number 20, touched the ball and headed it to the goalscorer. Final decision: offside.”

Connected ball technology at the heart of the decision

The crucial element in the decision was the data provided by the adidas Trionda, the official match ball of the FIFA World Cup, which incorporates Connected Ball Technology. FIFA later released a statement explaining the rationale:

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“According to the data provided by Connected Ball Technology housed within [adidas’s] Trionda, the official match ball of the FIFA World Cup, it was proven that contact was made by Croatia’s #20 Igor Matanovic in the build up to the goal against Portugal, allowing the referee to correctly determine offside and disallow the goal.”

This technology, developed in collaboration with Kinexon, utilizes sophisticated sensors within the ball. Adidas confirmed details about the Trionda ball, which was unveiled in October 2025:

• It carries a 500Hz inertial measurement unit (IMU) motion sensor chip.

• The chip is housed inside a specially created layer in one of the ball’s four panels.

• Counter-balances across the other three panels ensure flight stability.

These IMU sensors are capable of detecting even the slightest contact, which is then displayed to broadcast viewers as a ‘heartbeat graphic’. FIFA stated that this provides officials with “an unprecedented level of data to make fast, accurate decisions.” The precise ball data is sent to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in real-time, and when combined with player position data and artificial intelligence, it assists officials in making quicker and more accurate offside decisions, as well as identifying individual touches like possible handballs.

The decision meant Portugal advanced to the last 16, where they are scheduled to face Spain on Monday night at the Dallas Stadium. For Croatia, the use of cutting-edge technology brought their World Cup aspirations to a heartbreaking end.

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