Portugal defeats Croatia after ball‑chip technology nullifies late equaliser

In the round‑of‑16 match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Toronto, Portugal beat Croatia 2‑1 to reach the quarter‑finals. The decisive moment came when Josko Gvardiol appeared to score an equaliser in added time, but the VAR overturned the goal. Data from the Adidas Trionda ball’s built‑in inertial‑measurement unit (IMU) showed that Croatia’s Igor Matanović had touched the ball moments earlier, putting Mario Pasalic offside. The sensor recorded the contact at 500 Hz, and the information was displayed on broadcasts as a “heartbeat” graphic. FIFA confirmed that the chip‑enabled data allowed officials to make a rapid, precise decision, and the goal was ruled out. The incident sparked strong reactions from Croatian fans and sparked debate over the impact of such technology on football officiating.