Overview
- Josko Gvardiol’s stoppage-time goal was first awarded on the field but referee Espen Eskas overturned it after a lengthy VAR review that used data drawn from the match ball.
- FIFA says inertial sensors inside the Adidas Trionda ball detected a microscopic contact and that broadcasters showed the signal as a ‘heartbeat graphic’ which officials relied on for the offside decision.
- The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) has lodged a formal complaint to FIFA and asked President Gianni Infantino for a detailed account, calling the application of the ball data an “abuse of technology.”
- Players and officials, including captain Luka Modric, criticised what they called inconsistent use of technology, and HNS also challenged an earlier VAR review that led to Portugal’s penalty equaliser.
- The dispute highlights broader questions about how tiny sensor readings should affect match outcomes, how the VAR ‘clear and obvious error’ threshold is applied, and whether FIFA will change protocol or increase transparency.