Croatia's World Cup 2026 campaign ended in dramatic fashion after their stoppage-time equaliser against Portugal was disallowed following a VAR review that employed 'Snickometer' technology. The round-of-32 clash at BMO Field in Toronto saw Portugal win 2-1, with Goncalo Ramos heading home in the 94th minute to give Portugal a late lead before Josko Gvardiol's scrambled effort in the 13th minute of stoppage time was ruled out.
How Snickometer Technology Decided the Goal
The 'Snickometer' uses a microchip suspended inside the Adidas 'Trionda' match ball to detect the exact millisecond it is struck. Sensors inside the ball identify the slightest contact and relay that information to VAR, similar to edge-detection technology used in cricket. During the Portugal vs Croatia game, VAR used the Snickometer to determine if Croatian forward Igor Matanovic had touched the ball with his head from Ivan Perisic's cross before it hit Renato Veiga, bounced off Mario Pasalic, and was bundled home by Gvardiol.
Replays initially appeared inconclusive, but the Snicko spike on the 'heartbeat graphic' proved Matanovic had made contact. This meant Pasalic was in an offside position when Gvardiol scored. Veiga's deflection did not negate the offside as it was not deliberate. Norwegian referee Espen Eskas reviewed the footage on the pitchside monitor, led by VAR Jarred Gillett, and disallowed the goal.
FIFA Confirms Decision
FIFA released a statement on social media confirming the decision: 'According to the data provided by Connected Ball Technology housed within the @adidasfootball Trionda, the official match ball of the @FIFAWorldCup, it was proven that contact was made by Croatia's #20 Igor Matanovic in the build up to the goal against Portugal, allowing the referee to correctly determine offside and disallow the goal.' The statement added that IMU sensors in the ball can determine any slight contact, displayed as a 'heartbeat graphic' to viewers, providing officials with unprecedented data for fast, accurate decisions.
Croatia's Angry Reaction
Croatia fans threw bottles and cans onto the pitch in protest, briefly delaying the restart. Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic was furious, stating in his post-match press conference: 'I will not comment much about it but I will say the refereeing was very bad. No fouls, no set-pieces on our side which should have been but that's no reason to talk about the defeat. It was very bad refereeing.' He added: 'VAR kills emotions, it kills everything within you. We have gone too far with VAR.'
Midfielder Petar Sucic demanded an explanation: 'The referee said that he didn't see our side touch the ball. He said that he has a sensor in the ball and he decided like that. But I don't know what is this. It's really difficult to explain, but we expect somebody will explain to us because if what I saw is that Matanovic didn't touch the ball. So, for me, it's a regular goal, but I don't know.'
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez disagreed with the criticism, saying: 'It's a shame one of the two teams had to lose. But there is no bad decision or lucky decision. It was a clear moment. The balls now have a chip and the sensor shows the ball was touched.'
Match Summary
Portugal took the lead shortly after half-time through Ivan Perisic, with Cristiano Ronaldo later scoring his first-ever World Cup knockout stage goal from the penalty spot after VAR spotted a foul on Renato Veiga by Nikola Vlasic. Goncalo Ramos headed home in the 94th minute to give Portugal a 2-1 lead before the controversial disallowed goal. Portugal will now face Spain in Dallas in the last 16.
