As one of the European powers at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Portugal barely survived a thrilling battle with 2018 finalists Croatia, winning 2-1 on a late Goncalo Ramos winner.
However, the result was very nearly in question as Josko Gvardiol appeared to score a dramatic equalizer for Croatia with essentially the last kick of the game.
Yet the referee went to the monitor and ruled the goal out, leaving Portugal to win the game by a 2-1 score.
The Sporting News explains why the late Gvardiol goal was ruled out, and what technology was used to aid in the decision.
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In the 12th minute of stoppage time, Josko Gvardiol appeared to score a dramatic equalizing goal for Croatia as they fought to level the score against Portugal.
However, the referee went to the monitor to review the chance, and ruled that the chance was offside.
The officials judged, using advanced technology, that Igor Matanovic had indeed barely touched the ball with his head, thus leaving Mario Pasalic in an offside position.
Had Matanovic not touched the ball, the goal would have stood, because Pasalic was onside on the initial delivery from deep down the left.
At that point, the VAR review was not yet complete. Because the ball also clipped off the top of Renato Veiga‘s head, Norwegian referee Espen Eskas then had to determine whether the Portugal defender had made a deliberate play on the ball. If he had, he would have reset the offside decision and played Pasalic on.
The referee, however, determined correctly that Veiga was not making a deliberate play on the ball, as he appeared to try and duck underneath the ball. Thus, the offside decision remained the same, as deflections off defenders do not reset the marker.
At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Adidas Trionda ball is equipped with special technology that came into significant play in ruling out Josko Gvardiol’s goal.
At first glance, and even on replay, it appeared that the ball never touched Igor Matanovic’s head, meaning Mario Pasalic was onside for the goal.
However, the VAR had additional technology at his disposal to discover the truth. The chip in the ball, dubbed Connected Ball by FIFA, can detect every touch on the ball.
Normally, this aids the semi-automated offside technology, which uses the exact touch point to determine when to identify the moment offside must be determined. However, here it was used slightly differently.
The VAR review displayed a graphic on screen which showed each and every touch in the appearance of an audio wavelength. This, when synced up with the video, could determine whether Matanovic did indeed touch the ball, as a distortion on the wavelength appeared as the ball passed the Croatian substitute’s head.
Thus, the pass point was rearranged, and at that moment, Pasalic was indeed offside, so the goal was ruled out.
The technology is very similar to Ultra Edge technology in cricket, often coloquially referred to as “snicko,” which can determine if a batsman indeed made contact with the ball on an edged delivery.
FIFA explains how the sensor in the Trionda World Cup ball works.
Connected ball technology is an innovative system introduced by FIFA in collaboration with adidas. It involves embedding advanced sensors within the match ball to provide precise, real-time data about its movement and position. This technology enhances decision-making processes, particularly for video assistant referees (VARs), by offering extremely detailed insights into ball dynamics, such as the exact moment of contact (for offside determination) and speed and trajectory information. It plays a pivotal role in semi-automated offside decisions and other critical match incidents, ensuring greater accuracy and fairness in modern football, while equally enhancing the fan experience by shedding additional light on the mechanics of shots on goal.
A small inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor, typically operating at around 500Hz, is integrated into the ball. This sensor captures data 500 times per second, tracking the ball’s acceleration and granular movements in three dimensions. This data is used to compute when there has been a touch, and this information is then transmitted in real time to the video operation room, where it is combined with player tracking data from stadium cameras to assist the VARs.
The technology supports semi-automated offside systems by precisely identifying the kick point – the exact moment when a player makes contact with the ball – to enable faster and more accurate offside calls. It also aids in analyzing other incidents, such as handballs or penalties, by providing detailed touch data.
Connected ball technology is an innovative system introduced by FIFA in collaboration with adidas. It involves embedding advanced sensors within the match ball to provide precise, real-time data about its movement and position. This technology enhances decision-making processes, particularly for video assistant referees (VARs), by offering extremely detailed insights into ball dynamics, such as the exact moment of contact (for offside determination) and speed and trajectory information. It plays a pivotal role in semi-automated offside decisions and other critical match incidents, ensuring greater accuracy and fairness in modern football, while equally enhancing the fan experience by shedding additional light on the mechanics of shots on goal.
A small inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor, typically operating at around 500Hz, is integrated into the ball. This sensor captures data 500 times per second, tracking the ball’s acceleration and granular movements in three dimensions. This data is used to compute when there has been a touch, and this information is then transmitted in real time to the video operation room, where it is combined with player tracking data from stadium cameras to assist the VARs.
The technology supports semi-automated offside systems by precisely identifying the kick point – the exact moment when a player makes contact with the ball – to enable faster and more accurate offside calls. It also aids in analyzing other incidents, such as handballs or penalties, by providing detailed touch data.
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