Portugal-Croatia World Cup 2026 goal disallowed after ball‑chip review

In the round‑of‑16 match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup held in Toronto, Portugal defeated Croatia 2‑1. A late Croatian equaliser by Joško Gvardiol was ruled out after the VAR team consulted the tournament’s new connected‑ball technology. The Adidas Trionda ball, equipped with an inertial measurement sensor and ultra‑wide‑band communication, recorded that Croatia’s Igor Matanović made contact with the ball during the build‑up, which triggered the off‑side ruling on Mario Pašalić.

The incident highlighted the first high‑profile use of a chip‑embedded match ball to provide real‑time data to officials, demonstrating how sensor‑based telemetry can influence crucial on‑field decisions in modern football.