In the World Cup round of 32 match between Portugal and Croatia on July 2, 2026, a high-tech ball was central to one of the tournament's most dramatic moments. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
The match took place in Toronto. Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo watched as Croatia's Nikola Vlasic headed the ball. Croatia's Luka Modric reacted emotionally after the loss. Igor Matanovic of Croatia also showed strong emotions after the match.
In the second half, Croatia's Josko Gvardiol scored a goal against Portugal goalkeeper Diego Costa, but it was disallowed due to an offside call. This decision was made with the help of the high-tech ball, which contains sensors to accurately detect offside positions.
The Portugal vs. Croatia match will be remembered as one of the most dramatic in World Cup history. The use of the high-tech ball helped ensure fairness in the game.