Portugal advanced to the World Cup last 16 after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia, with the match decided by Snicko technology. The new Adidas Trionda ball, featuring a microchip that detects player contact, was used to rule out Josko Gvardiol's potential 113th-minute equalizer.
How Snicko Decided the Match
VAR official used the Snickometer, which analyses sound waves from the ball's microchip, to determine that Croatian striker Igor Matanovic brushed the ball before it deflected off Portuguese defender Renato Veiga. The ball then fell to Mario Pasalic, who was in an offside position from the original cross, before he set up Gvardiol.
Croatian players and fans celebrated initially, but referee Espen Eskas was alerted by VAR. After reviewing the monitor and the ball's sound waves, Eskas disallowed the goal for offside. Play continued briefly before the final whistle, sending Portugal into a round of 16 clash against Spain.
Ronaldo's Rollercoaster Night
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first World Cup knockout goal from a penalty in the second half, after an earlier effort was ruled out for offside. He was substituted shortly after, appearing frustrated. Despite only two touches in the Croatian box, Ronaldo was named Man of the Match.
BBC host Mark Chapman read a message from veteran official Darren Cann supporting the decision: 'He was offside when the ball was last played by a teammate, and the ball was deflected by the defender and not deliberately played, so the offside stands. Snicko, that 100% proves that he touched it with the flick-on.'
Snicko's World Cup Debut
Snicko technology, developed by an English inventor in the 1990s for cricket, has been used in a comparable version at World Cups since 2022 but gained prominence in 2026. The Trionda ball's microchip enables precise detection of touches, even those invisible to the naked eye.
Ronaldo had a similar experience in 2022 when a goal was disallowed after technology showed he did not touch Bruno Fernandes's cross, despite Ronaldo insisting he did. Fernandes was credited with the goal instead.
