How the Sensor Ruled Out Croatia's Equalizer Against Portugal

Croatia was eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in one of the tournament's most dramatic finishes, following a refereeing decision that sparked intense debate.

With the clock showing 90+14, Joško Gvardiol appeared to have scored a dramatic equalizer against Portugal. The Croatian celebrations erupted inside the stadium in Toronto, but they lasted only a few moments. The VAR reviewed the play and ultimately disallowed the goal for offside.

The sequence was incredibly close. During the review, officials determined that Igor Matanović made slight contact with the ball before it reached Joško Gvardiol. That subtle touch completely changed the interpretation of the play because Mario Pašalić, who had delivered the initial cross, was in an offside position at the moment of Matanović's touch.

To the naked eye, many fans believed that Matanović had never touched the ball. However, the technology used throughout the tournament detected an almost imperceptible contact that proved decisive in overturning the goal and securing Portugal's place in the next round.

How Does the Ball Sensor Work?

The tournament's official match ball features an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) installed at its center. This small device records the ball's movement and transmits data in real time hundreds of times per second to the technological system used by the VAR.

The sensor measures parameters such as acceleration, speed, rotation, and the vibrations generated with every touch. Thanks to this information, the system can identify with remarkable precision the exact instant a player makes contact with the ball, even when the touch is nearly impossible to detect at normal speed.

These data are combined with the player-tracking system that uses multiple cameras installed throughout the stadium. Together, they allow the semi-automated offside system to reconstruct the play with outstanding accuracy and provide the officiating team with all the information needed to make a decision.

Technology Does Not Replace the Referee

Although the sensor played a decisive role in this incident, the final decision always belongs to the officiating team. The device does not automatically signal an offside offense or disallow a goal; it simply provides the exact moment of contact with the ball, while the camera system determines the players' positions.

In the play that ended Croatia's World Cup campaign, the system detected Matanović's slight touch. That information established the precise moment at which Pašalić's position had to be evaluated, confirming that he was offside before Gvardiol's finish.

The incident once again demonstrated just how important technology has become in modern football. In situations separated by only a few centimeters or fractions of a second, an almost imperceptible touch can change the fate of a national team in the FIFA World Cup.

For Croatia, the disallowed goal marked the end of its World Cup dream. For Portugal, it was the play that secured a place in the next round. And for football, it served as another reminder of the enormous impact technology now has on the sport's biggest decisions.