A decisive Croatia goal was disallowed after FIFA/VAR reportedly relied on connected-ball technology and an alleged extremely slight contact by a Croatian player.

This decision had enormous consequences for Croatia, the Croatian national team, and millions of Croatian supporters around the world. When a goal of this importance is cancelled using technology that the public cannot see, independently verify, or properly understand, FIFA has a responsibility to provide complete transparency.

We are not asking for vague explanations or computer-generated graphics. We are asking FIFA to release the actual evidence used to make this decision.

FIFA should release the VAR audio, the complete connected-ball sensor data, the full signal timeline and spike graph, the exact timestamps, the synchronized video frames, the offside calibration, the player-tracking data, and the complete technical explanation showing how the alleged contact was identified.

From the publicly available broadcast footage, many supporters believe there is no visible change in the ball’s trajectory, direction, speed, rotation, or overall behaviour that would normally indicate a meaningful touch. If the technology detected a contact that could not be identified from the available footage, FIFA should explain precisely how that conclusion was reached and publish the evidence supporting it.

FIFA should also explain how the complete signal timeline was analysed. If one spike has been identified as the alleged Croatian touch, how was that spike distinguished from every other possible signal? How was the exact millisecond of contact determined? How was it established that this was unquestionably the Croatian player and not another event occurring at almost the same moment?

If FIFA’s position is that the system is capable of detecting an extremely slight contact—one that many supporters believe could be as small as a hair making contact with the ball—then FIFA should explain how the technology distinguishes that event from every other possible source of interference or false detection. For example, how does the system rule out environmental interference, a bead of sweat, an insect passing near the ball, electronic noise, or any other anomaly before making a decision that changes the outcome of a World Cup match? What filtering, validation, confidence thresholds, and error margins are applied before such a decision is confirmed?

The football community also deserves to know how the connected-ball technology was tested, what its documented accuracy is, whether it has ever produced false detections, whether independent experts have validated the system, and whether the complete technical data can be reviewed by independent engineers and specialists.

If technology is accurate enough to decide one of the biggest moments in a World Cup match and end a nation’s tournament hopes, then the evidence behind that decision should be transparent enough for independent experts, engineers, referees, players, and football supporters to examine.

This petition does not seek speculation. It seeks transparency, accountability, and confidence in the integrity of the game. We call on FIFA to release the complete evidence, explain the decision in full, and permit an independent technical review of the data and methodology used.

Football belongs to the players, the supporters, and the nations who live for it.

Croatia deserves answers.