Cristiano Ronaldo will play at least one more match at the FIFA World Cup 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 got the win thanks to Ronaldo’s penalty and a stoppage-time header from Goncalo Ramos. But the biggest talking point came in the closing minutes when Croatia had a late equalizer ruled out following a VAR review.Croatia thought 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 whether the ball had made contact with Igor Matanovic before reaching another Croatian player who was standing in an offside position.The decision depends on the technology built into the match ball.Every Adidas Trionda ball used in the World Cup has a microchip that records every touch using a motion sensor. The system showed that there was little contact with Matanovic before the ball reached his teammate, making the receiving player offside.To many watching in the stadium, it looked like Matanovic didn’t touch the ball. The decision disappointed Croatian players, while many fans questioned how much influence technology had on the game.Television viewers are shown the footage being reviewed. The replay seemed inconclusive, 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 proved that the final action of the game was near.The decision led to angry scenes inside the stadium, with Croatia 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 is rarely used to decide a crucial moment in a match.The microchip inside the ball provides instant data on the ball’s movement, speed, trajectory and every touch the players make.The technology is more familiar to cricket fans. The Snicko is often used during cricket matches to determine whether a batter has bowled the ball to the wicketkeeper or slip fielders when it is difficult for the umpire to judge from sight and sound alone.By slowing down the footage and matching it with audio and sensor data, officers can make clearer decisions.Snicko was invented by English computer scientist Allan Plaskett in the mid-1990s and was first introduced to Channel 4’s cricket broadcasts in 1999.