Sweden vs Tunisia: How cricket-style Snicko technology changed a World Cup goal
A marginal touch by Alexander Isak was confirmed by Snicko technology, overturning an offside decision as Sweden thrashed Tunisia 5-1 in their World Cup opener
Sweden’s opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Tunisia at the Stadio Monterrey on Monday (June 15) produced a rare moment in football, with technology more commonly associated with cricket playing a decisive role in one of the goals during their emphatic 5-1 win.
The Scandinavian side were already cruising in their Group F encounter when the night’s most unusual episode unfolded around what initially looked like their fourth goal. Substitute Mattias Svanberg believed he had made an immediate impact after turning in a close-range effort from a set-piece situation.
Snicko overturns offside call
The Wolfsburg midfielder found the net just 18 seconds after play resumed, becoming the second-fastest substitute to score in FIFA World Cup history and prompting jubilant celebrations among the Sweden players. But the assistant referee quickly raised his flag for offside, bringing the celebrations to an abrupt halt.
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Sweden’s players and coaching staff protested immediately, arguing that Alexander Isak had made a crucial touch in the build-up. They maintained that the slightest deflection off the Liverpool forward had kept Svanberg onside and that the decision on the field was therefore wrong.
Because the contact was so marginal, VAR officials turned to a solution more familiar to cricket fans than football followers. The broadcast-style “Snicko” technology, which registers tiny audio and visual spikes when the ball is touched, was used to establish whether Isak had in fact made contact.
In a striking example of technology crossing over between sports, the Snicko graph reportedly registered a clear spike at the exact instant the ball passed Isak’s boot, confirming the faintest of touches. That evidence was enough to reverse the on-field decision.
Sweden seal emphatic victory
The goal was eventually given, allowing Svanberg to celebrate once again and officially register Sweden’s fourth goal of the evening in what ended as a dominant 5-1 victory.
Away from the technology debate, Sweden’s display sent out a strong message on the world stage. Yasin Ayari opened the scoring with a powerful early effort before Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres added to the tally in a ruthless attacking performance built on pace, precision and relentless pressing. Ayari later completed his brace to finish the scoring in style and cap an outstanding individual outing.
Tunisia, meanwhile, found it difficult to deal with Sweden’s speed and intensity both in transition and during build-up play. They threatened only sporadically from set-pieces and occasional moments in midfield, but spent most of the match on the back foot and were forced into mistakes by Sweden’s constant pressure. In the end, they were outclassed across the pitch, unable to contain Sweden’s movement or match their clinical finishing.
Sweden now sit atop Group F ahead of their June 20 clash with the Netherlands, while Tunisia will be desperate to recover from a nightmare evening in Monterrey when they face Japan.
How Snicko technology works
Although ‘Snicko’ is traditionally linked with cricket, similar technology has increasingly found its place in football in recent years.
The Trionda match ball, manufactured by Adidas for this year’s World Cup, contains a microchip capable of detecting when the ball has been touched.
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It forms part of Adidas’ Connected Ball Technology, which allows precise information – including every touch made with a boot or hand – to be transmitted instantly to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in real time.
According to Adidas, the technology “enables faster in-game officiating decisions and more insight into gameplay than ever before”.
When Svanberg’s goal was eventually awarded, television replays showed a flat-line sensor graphic producing a spike as the ball passed Isak’s outstretched foot, confirming that he had made contact with the ball even though it was not obvious to the naked eye.
Similar technology was also used at the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 European Championship.