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

A connected “Trionda” World Cup ball using advanced sensors played a decisive role in one of the most dramatic World Cup moments. The ball technology canceled Croatia’s late equalizer against Portugal, after it detected what officials said was a touch that was not visible to the naked eye and was unclear even in late video replays. Portugal won 2-1 in Toronto on Thursday and advanced to the round of 16, leaving Croatia players and fans upset, believing Josko Gvardiol’s goal was incorrectly ruled offside by VAR and referee Espen Eskås. FIFA said the sensor data showed Croatia’s Igor Mantanovic made the slightest contact, putting Mario Palasic in an offside position during the buildup. The Adidas-made ball includes a small inertial measurement unit operating at about 500 Hz, capturing data 500 times per second. FIFA says the system tracks ball acceleration and movement in three dimensions and transmits touch data in real time alongside stadium camera feeds to VAR. FIFA also used the connected ball at the 2022 World Cup and deployed it at Euro 2024. The article notes it had previously influenced calls, including a Denmark handball versus Germany that led to a penalty.