Croatia fell to Portugal 2-1 on July 2, 2026, in their World Cup round of 32 match held in Toronto [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. A total of four goals were ruled offside during the contest, with three of those calls against Croatia [4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Josko Gvardiol appeared to score a dramatic equalising goal in stoppage time at the 103rd minute, which would have sent the match into extra time. However, the goal was disallowed for offside after review [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
VAR and Connected Ball Technology, which utilizes a microchip inside the Adidas Trionda ball, confirmed the offside decision [4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. The technology detected a key touch by Igor Matanovic, establishing the offside position of Mario Pasalic. Pasalic had assisted Gvardiol’s disallowed goal [4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Earlier in the match, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a penalty to level the game for Portugal [2]. The match featured multiple tight offside calls, highlighting the impact of advanced technology on game decisions.
The use of Connected Ball Technology provided precise timing and position data that complemented VAR's video review in making offside rulings. The late decision ultimately sealed Portugal’s 2-1 victory, eliminating Croatia from the tournament [4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
