​Croatia were left lamenting the use of “Snicko” style technology at the World Cup after a late VAR check denied them a stoppage-time equaliser against Portugal. In the 13th minute of added time, Josko Gvardiol seemed to level the match from close range, keeping their hopes alive at 2-2 and pushing the tie toward extra time. However, referee Espen Eskas checked the incident using Snickometer-style technology to review whether Igor Matanovic had touched the ball in the buildup. If Matanovic had touched it, the goal would be ruled out; if not, Gvardiol’s strike would stand. The evidence appeared inconclusive, with Matanovic not clearly diverting the ball, but Eskas was shown a spike on the Snickometer and ruled the goal out for offside.
The Snickometer-like data, which detects ball contact via sound waves, contributed to the decision, and with a Croatian in an offside position, the goal was disallowed. Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic criticized the officiating, saying, “VAR kills emotions, it kills everything within you,” and suggesting refereeing had gone too far. He lamented that refereeing decisions had drained the game of joy and left them feeling that the sport’s spirit had been compromised.
Portugal, led by Roberto Martinez, acknowledged the outcome without blaming a single decision, insisting there was no bad or lucky call, just a clear moment. They will advance to face Spain in the round of 16, after the use of ball-tracking technology confirmed the ball’s touch. The match highlighted the expanding use of sensor-based technology in football, with Adidas Trionda balls containing chips to provide real-time contact data for VAR.