FIFA has released an official explanation regarding the disallowed late goal in Croatia's dramatic Round of 32 match against Portugal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, İdman.Biz reports.
Croatia appeared to equalise in the 90+13th minute, but Norwegian referee Espen Eskås overturned the goal after a VAR review. The decision was based on an offside position by Mario Pašalić during the attacking move.
According to FIFA, the official match ball, "Trionda", is equipped with Connected Ball Technology, which played a crucial role in the review. The built-in system detected a touch by Igor Matanović before the ball reached Pašalić, providing the match officials with the data needed to confirm the offside offence.
FIFA added that the ball's built-in IMU sensors are capable of detecting even the slightest contact, supplying referees with precise technical information to support faster and more accurate decisions alongside VAR.
Portugal went on to secure a 2-1 victory and advanced to the Round of 16, where they will face Spain in a highly anticipated Iberian derby.
The defeat ended Croatia's World Cup campaign in the Round of 32. The Croatians had reached the final at the 2018 World Cup and the semi-finals at the 2022 tournament, making this their earliest elimination in three editions.
