Croatia vs Portugal – 2026 FIFA World Cup (Round of 32)

Date: 3 July 2026
Result: Portugal 2–1 Croatia 

Introduction

Yesterday, Portugal faced Croatia, where Portugal beat Croatia 2-1. Instead of the match itself, the dramatic stoppage-time controversy has been getting a lot of attention.

The VAR Controversy

Croatia scored what looked like a late equalizer, but VAR disallowed the goal after reviewing data from the adidas Trionda match ball’s built-in sensor.

The sensor detected a touch by Croatian player Igor Matanović, confirming that he was offside.

My Perspective

In my perspective, this is one of the major problems with using a sensor ball, as it makes the match feel more robotic instead of competitive.

Also, I think the United States has been adding too many new features to the World Cup since the tournament started, such as referee cameras, hydration breaks, and more. However, I believe the sensor ball is very absurd.

There are also other disadvantages, such as making the ball heavier, which decreases the amount of curve that players can generate.