Portugal's dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 wasn't decided solely by the players on the pitch. Instead, one of the biggest talking points after the final whistle was a piece of technology more commonly associated with cricket than football. A "Snicko"-style graphic played a crucial role in VAR's decision to disallow Croatia's stoppage-time equaliser, leaving fans stunned and sparking widespread debate.
The controversial moment came deep into injury time when Josko Gvardiol appeared to have scored what looked like a dramatic equaliser for Croatia. Initial television replays suggested that striker Igor Matanovic had failed to make contact with the ball before it reached Mario Pasalic, a scenario that would have kept Pasalic onside. However, after a lengthy VAR review, officials determined that Matanovic had made the slightest touch, putting Pasalic in an offside position. As a result, the goal was ruled out and Portugal advanced to the Round of 16.
The decision was made possible by Adidas' Connected Ball Technology, which features an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor embedded inside the official match ball. Operating at 500Hz, the sensor detects even the faintest contact with the ball and produces a waveform similar to cricket's famous Snickometer. Although football's system measures ball movement rather than sound, the visual output resembles the "Snicko" used in cricket to determine whether a batter has edged the ball.
While many praised the technology for delivering an accurate decision in the Portugal-Croatia clash, others questioned whether football is becoming overly reliant on technological interventions. Nevertheless, FIFA's use of cricket-inspired "Snicko" once again proved decisive, ensuring that one of the tournament's most dramatic knockout matches was settled with the aid of cutting-edge innovation rather than human guesswork.
