Published On 7/3/2026
Once again, the 2026 World Cup ball, nicknamed “Trionda,” made the event happen once again, and played the most important role in eliminating Croatia from the World Cup, after a controversial arbitration decision.
At the end of the Portugal-Croatia match, while it was in its last breaths, Joshko Gvardiol scored a late equalizer and the stadium exploded in Croatian joy at the draw.
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However, the Norwegian match referee, Espen Eskas, indicated that there was a video technology review that suspected a case of offside, which was actually proven and the goal was cancelled, and Portugal advanced to the round of 16.
The smart ball system used by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) requires that the ball contain an electronic chip integrated inside the ball, capable of detecting the most precise touches.
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) issued a statement on its FIFA Media platform, saying: “Data derived from the “Connected Ball Technology” integrated into the “Trionda” ball – the official ball for the World Cup matches – proved that contact occurred by the Croatian player Igor Matanovic (who has the number 20) during the preparation of the attack that resulted in a goal against Portugal, which enabled the referee to make the correct decision to award a case. Offside and cancel the goal.
The statement added: “The Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors inside the Triunda ball are able to detect even the slightest contact – which is shown to viewers via the broadcast in the form of a graph similar to a heartbeat, allowing referees to benefit from accurate and unprecedented data to make quick and correct decisions.”
Martinez defends
Roberto Martinez, coach of the Portuguese national team, confirmed that the electronic chip technology embedded inside the match ball resolved the controversy over the cancellation of the Croatia national team’s goal in the match that brought together the two teams in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.
The Croatia national team believed that it had imposed two additional periods after defender Joshko Gvardiol scored a goal in the 13th minute of stoppage time, during the match held in Toronto, but the referee canceled the goal after a lengthy review via video technology (VAR), after the smart ball technology revealed a light touch from the striker Igor Matanovic, at a time when Mario Pasalic was offside during the build-up of the attack.
Martinez said after Portugal’s exciting 2-1 victory: “The message is very clear. The ball now contains an electronic chip, and that is why VAR intervened. There is no personal opinion in this case, as the chip proved that there was a touch by Matanovic, and when it happened, Pasalic was in an offside position.”
He added: “It is unfortunate that one of the two teams had to leave the tournament, but there was no wrong or unlucky decision. The situation was completely clear, and technology helped reach the correct decision. We may have been lucky in this moment, but it was a clear moment.”
Dalic criticizes
On the other hand, Croatia national team coach Zlatko Dalic criticized the impact of video technology on the enjoyment of football, although he acknowledged its importance in some cases.
Dalic said: “You saw the extent to which feelings were literally killed. Such decisions take you back and take away the joy of football.”
He added: “I am not saying that video technology does not help sometimes, but it kills feelings, kills everything inside you, and makes you lose the feeling you experience during the match, and it is not easy to deal with that.”
The technology also played a decisive role in the match between Sweden and Tunisia during the group stage, when it helped change an offside decision after detecting a light touch that changed the course of the game. By benefiting from this technology, the Portuguese national team qualified for the round of 16, where it faced Spain, while Croatia’s journey in the 2026 World Cup ended with a painful exit.
