The 2026 World Cup has seen its fair share of controversy, and the latest incident involves a new ball technology that helped disallow a goal for Croatia. In their Round of 32 match against Portugal, Croatia thought they had scored an equalizer in the 103rd minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review.

The Technology Behind the Decision

The new World Cup ball, called the Trionda, contains a sensor that detects every touch, no matter how small. This technology, similar to that used in cricket, sends data in real-time to help VAR officials make accurate decisions. In this case, the sensor detected a slight touch by Croatia’s Igor Matanović, which put teammate Mario Pašalić in an offside position.

FIFA released a statement explaining the decision, saying there was ‘proven’ contact made by Matanović, allowing the referee to ‘correctly determine offside.’ The Trionda ball’s sensor technology is a significant innovation in the sport, providing unprecedented data to officials.

Reactions to the Decision

Croatia manager Zlatko Dalić was unhappy with the decision, stating that VAR had ‘ruined the spirit of the game.’ In contrast, Portugal manager Roberto Martínez believed the decision was correct, citing the ball’s technology as the reason for the VAR intervention.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.