This high-tech ball was involved in one of the most dramatic moments in World Cup history

A connected-ball technology system played a decisive role in one of the most dramatic moments of World Cup history, the AP reported from Atlanta. The technology canceled Croatia’s late equalizer against Portugal deep in added time on Thursday, after it detected a touch that was not visible to the naked eye or clear on video replays. Portugal won 2-1 in Toronto and advanced to the round of 16, leaving Croatian players and fans convinced that VAR and referee Espen Eskås had wrongly ruled offside for Josko Gvardiol. FIFA said sensors in the official “Trionda” ball, manufactured by Adidas, operated around 500Hz and captured data 500 times per second. The in-ball information was combined with stadium cameras and sent in real time to video assistants. FIFA also noted the approach can support other decisions such as handballs and penalties, and it has been used previously, including at Euro 2024.