Chip-in-ball tech overturns offside call in Sweden's 5-1 win over Tunisia

Sweden’s 5-1 victory over Tunisia at the 2026 World Cup featured a high-tech officiating decision that once again put football’s new ball-tracking system in the spotlight. Sweden’s fourth goal, scored by substitute Mattias Svanberg, was first disallowed for offside, then allowed after VAR review and data from a sensor inside the ball showed Alexander Isak had touched it on the way through.

Svanberg entered in the second half and scored just 18 seconds after coming on. He finished Yasin Ayari’s free kick, but the assistant referee flagged offside because Svanberg appeared to be in an illegal position when the ball was struck. VAR then checked the play and examined the chip data from the match ball. The sensor indicated a slight contact by Isak, and at that exact moment Svanberg had already moved back and was therefore onside. The goal was confirmed, and the touch that was invisible to the naked eye was displayed on screen.

The system works like cricket’s snickometer, which detects whether a ball has hit the bat. In football, Adidas’ Connected Ball Technology sends real-time contact data to VAR. The chip in the current World Cup’s Trionda ball records touches instantly and provides officials with timing, impact and contact details, with the aim of making calls on handballs, foot touches and similar incidents faster and more definitive.

The article said the same technology was used at the 2022 World Cup, when Cristiano Ronaldo claimed he had headed Portugal’s goal against Uruguay, but the sensor showed no contact and the goal was credited to Bruno Fernandes. At Euro 2024, a similar system ruled out a Belgium goal by Romelu Lukaku against Slovakia after a hand touch by Lois Openda. The debate now is whether such marginal contacts should decide offside and other key moments, even if they reduce officiating errors.