The Portuguese national team was saved by the sensor in the official World Cup 2026 ball, the Adidas Trionda, which disallowed a Croatian goal at 90+13 minutes. The game that allowed Portugal to advance to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup was marked by a disallowed goal based on a touch that no one in the stadium could see, not even the referee.
What happened?
The caricature episode happened at 113 minutes, at a time when Portugal was winning 2-1 and was already longing for the end of the game. Croatia equalized in a play in which Marco Pasalic, in an irregular position, benefited from a play that first passed through Igor Matanovic's head.
How technology helped
The Trionda sensor, a solution that TEK News had already described in detail in the special about the technological revolution of the 2026 World Cup, was able to identify the contact with Matanovic's head, before passing to Mario Pasalic, who would thus be offside.
| Date | Result |
|---|---|
| 2026-06-17 | Portugal 1-1 Congo DR |
What's next?
Portugal is currently unbeaten in the last 5 games, with 3 wins and 2 draws. The next game of the national team will be against Wales, at home, on 2026-09-24.
Technology is increasingly present in football, and the Adidas Trionda sensor is an example of this. With the ability to record and transmit information 500 times per second, the sensor was able to disallow the Croatian goal and secure Portugal's victory.
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