Croatia submits complaint to FIFA on "abuse of technology" that led to WC exit
Zagreb, July 7
Croatia has submitted a formal complaint to FIFA following their FIFA World Cup exit in the round of 32 stage at the hands of Portugal, alleging "abuse of technology" during a critical moment in the match that cost them a slot in the round of 16.
Croatia's WC journey ended dramatically with a 2-1 loss to Portugal, which saw a goal being disallowed during stoppage time when Josko Gvardiol appeared to have scored.
The goal stood initially, but was turned down following a lengthy VAR review by referee Espen Eskas, citing an offside that became apparent through data present within the match ball itself.
Croatia's football governing body feels that the spirit of the game has taken a hit, while FIFA stands by its officiating terms. The world football governing body had to defend the VAR process after backlash from Croatian fans and the team alike.
The TV replays should the goal to be legal, the technology employed by FIFA in its Trionda match ball detected a microscopic touch from Igor Matanovic's hair that changed the whole math around offside.
FIFA defended their process, saying in a statement as quoted by Goal.com that, "IMU sensors housed within the Trionda ball are capable of determining any slight contact, displayed to viewers in the broadcast as a 'heartbeat graphic,' and allowing officials an unprecedented level of data to make fast, accurate decisions."
But Croatia feels that such a high level of data moves from the "clear and obvious" spirit of VAR and relies on data players cannot see in real time. The country's governing body was also critical of the call that helped Portugal level the scores with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the penalty in the 68th minute.
The formal complaint by HNS, the country's football governing body, focuses on protocols used by the Video Assistant Referee and whether it exceeded its intended mandate. HNS argues that "clear and obvious error" threshold was not met and the review broke the rhythm and flow of what could have been a fair match.
HNS spokesperson Tomislav Pacak told RTL Danas, as quoted by Goal.com, "The Croatian Football Association sent a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino in which we expressed deep disappointment and disagreement with the match with Portugal, not because of the refereeing decisions as such, because they can be discussed after every match, but because of the process itself that led to those decisions.
"To begin with, we believe that the VAR protocol was completely incorrectly applied to the penalty kick for Portugal, and the referee should not have been called to review the footage. And more importantly, with Guardiola's equalizer, Pasalic was awarded offside against the rules and spirit of football due to Matanovic's non-existent ball play , because the sensor showed so."
"We believe that this is an abuse of technology, which we welcome in football, but we believe that this application is not beneficial to FIFA, teams and football fans, and we know that our letter will not reduce the pain and disappointment of fans and players, but we believe that it is important to warn FIFA and request a detailed explanation of all decisions," he signed off.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, this is heartbreaking for Croatia. They played a gutsy match and that disallowed goal was absolutely marginal. If the sensor can detect a hair brushing the ball, where do we draw the line? Next they'll be measuring if a player breathed on the ball. 😅 The spirit of the game is being suffocated by data. As a cricket fan myself, I know the pain—DRS decisions on the thinnest of edges can ruin a match. FIFA must listen to Croatia and rethink the threshold for overturning goals.
I'm a fan of technology in sports—it can reduce blatant errors. But this case in the World Cup is a classic example of overreach. The hair touch from Matanovic is essentially negligible in real time play; players can't feel that level of contact. The 'clear and obvious' standard should mean something. Croatia's complaint seems valid—the penalty call was also dubious. FIFA needs better protocols, not just more sensors. Technology should aid the game, not decide it on invisible margins.
As an Indian, I can feel Croatia's pain. Even in our cricket matches, technology like DRS sometimes confuses more than it helps. That 'heartbeat graphic' showing a hair touch is just crazy—football is a contact sport. If every microscopic touch is tracked, then matches will have endless VAR checks. The penalty decision also seemed soft. FIFA should admit that the protocol went wrong here and set better limits for what triggers a review. Otherwise, football becomes a data game, not a player's game.
I'm all for using tech to get decisions right, but this feels like a step too far. The offside rule was designed to prevent goal-hanging, not to penalise a player whose hair brushed the ball. Croatia's frustration is completely justified—they played their hearts out and were undone by a sensor. Even FIFA
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