Football fans around the world are seeking greater transparency regarding the disallowed Croatian equalizer against Portugal during the FIFA World Cup Round of 32.

While FIFA has explained that the Connected Ball registered a contact event, the publicly available information has not enabled many supporters to understand how the officials concluded that the contact constituted a legal touch under the Laws of the Game

We respectfully ask FIFA to publish the complete VAR review materials and provide a detailed explanation of the decision.

This petition does not seek to accuse the match officials of misconduct. It respectfully asks FIFA to provide greater transparency by releasing the review materials and explaining how the decision was reached.

To the President of FIFA, the FIFA Refereeing Committee, and the Football Technology & Innovation Department,

We write as football fans who believe in fairness, transparency, and the integrity of the game.

During the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match between Croatia and Portugal, Croatia’s late equalizing goal was disallowed after VAR determined that Igor Matanović made the final touch before the ball reached Mario Pašalić, resulting in an offside decision.

We recognize and appreciate FIFA’s commitment to improving officiating through technologies such as the Connected Ball and Semi-Automated Offside Technology. These innovations are intended to increase accuracy and confidence in refereeing decisions.

However, this particular decision has raised significant questions among football supporters around the world.

The evidence shown publicly has not enabled many fans to understand how the officials concluded that a legal touch had occurred. The broadcast replays do not clearly show a visible touch, nor do they clearly demonstrate a change in the ball’s trajectory, speed, or rotation that would make the contact apparent.

FIFA has publicly explained that the Connected Ball registered a contact event and has released a graphic showing the sensor signal. While this indicates that the ball detected an impact, the information made public does not explain what made contact with the ball or how the officials determined that the contact constituted a legal touch.

This question is particularly important because FIFA has previously published guidance stating:

“Hair is only considered part of the body if it affects the movement or trajectory of the ball.”

Many supporters have questioned whether the contact was with a legal playing surface of the head or only with the player’s hair. Because the publicly available footage does not clearly resolve this question, we respectfully request clarification about how FIFA’s published guidance on hair contact was applied in this specific incident.

Our request is not based on disagreement with technology or on criticism of the match officials. Referees and VAR officials can only make decisions using the information available to them. Rather, we believe that transparency is essential for maintaining trust in modern football officiating.

For this reason, we respectfully ask FIFA to publish:

Every camera angle reviewed by the VAR team during the incident.
The synchronized Connected Ball sensor data used in the review.
A detailed technical explanation describing how the officials determined that the contact constituted a legal touch under the Laws of the Game and FIFA’s published guidance.
Clarification of how FIFA’s published guidance regarding hair contact was applied in this specific case.
Providing this information would help football supporters better understand the decision and strengthen confidence in the technologies that are now used to decide the biggest matches in world football.

Football belongs to everyone—players, officials, and supporters alike. Transparency strengthens the game, builds trust, and demonstrates FIFA’s commitment to fairness.

We respectfully ask FIFA to address these questions openly for the benefit of football worldwide.

Sincerely,

Football Fans