Overview
- The VAR review used data from the Adidas Trionda connected ball to conclude that Croatia’s Igor Matanović made a tiny touch before Mario Pašalić’s pass, prompting referee Espen Eskas to disallow the goal.
- Portugal won 2–1 after the annulment, eliminating Croatia and advancing to the World Cup last 16 to face Spain.
- The Trionda ball houses IMU sensors (accelerometer and gyroscope) that transmit roughly 500 readings per second and produce a contact waveform shown to broadcasters as a ‘heartbeat’ graph.
- Players and pundits disputed the decision with Luka Modrić saying VAR should act only on clear obvious errors while Matanović said he thought he felt a slight contact but was not certain.
- The episode sharpens a broader debate about IFAB Law 11 and whether ultra‑precise micro‑contact detection from connected‑ball tech, tested since 2022, changes how referees should apply the spirit of the offside rule.