How cricket technology saved Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup dream against Croatia – Explained

Croatia’s Igor Matanovic (20) heads the ball during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between Portugal and Croatia (left) and Cristiano Ronaldo. (AP)_ Cristiano Ronaldo will play at least one more World Cup match for Portugal after his side beat Croatia 2-1 in the round of 32, with technology playing a decisive role in the closing moments of the match.Portugal secured victory with a penalty from Ronaldo and a header from Goncalo Ramos in stoppage time. But the biggest talking point came in the closing minutes when Croatia had a late equalizer ruled out by VAR.Croatia believed they had forced extra time when Josko Gvardiol scored from close range in the 13th minute of stoppage time.However, the goal was disallowed after VAR checked that the ball had made contact with Igor Matanović before reaching another Croatian player who was standing in an offside position.The decision hinged on the technology built into the match ball.Every Adidas Trionda ball used at the World Cup contains a microchip that records every touch using a motion sensor. The system showed that there was slight contact with Matanovic before the ball reached his teammate, putting the receiver offside.To many onlookers in the stadium, it seemed that Matanovic did not touch the ball. The decision left Croatian players frustrated, while many fans questioned what effect technology should have on the game.Television viewers were shown the viewed footage. The replay looked fuzzy, but the sensor data showed a small spike indicating contact with the ball.Norwegian referee Espen Eskas watched several replays before disallowing the goal. It turned out to be almost the last action of the match.The decision led to angry scenes at the stadium, with Croatian supporters throwing plastic bottles onto the pitch as their World Cup campaign came to an end.Snicko, the technology used to detect contact with the ball, first appeared in football during the 2022 World Cup. However, it was rarely used to decide such an important moment of the match.A microchip inside the ball provides instant data on the ball’s movement, speed, trajectory and each player’s touch.This technology is more familiar to cricket fans. A snicko is regularly used during cricket matches to determine whether a batsman has bowled the ball to the wicketkeeper or fielders when it is difficult for the umpire to judge by sight and sound alone.By slowing down the footage and comparing it to audio and sensor data, officials can make clearer decisions.Snicko was invented by English computer scientist Allan Plaskett in the mid-1990s and was first introduced on a Channel 4 cricket broadcast in 1999.