Visitors to our special exhibition, Innovation in Action: Football Technologies on and off the Pitch, can admire the shirt of former Honduras Goalkeeper Noel Valladares from the match in which he became the central figure of the very first Goal Line Technology decision in FIFA World Cup™ history.

Innovation in Action takes visitors on a truly unique adventure through the advancements of the game throughout the ages. It gives football fans a chance to delve into the intricacies of the new technology of the day, while appreciating what the game was before the innovations that we now take for granted.

There have been hair breadth moments in football history that have haunted fans for generations. Was the player fractionally offside? Did the ball go out of play? Was that a goal? Despite the closeness of the calls, decisions always had to be made – delighting one half of the stadium while the other looked on in despair.

Perhaps the most famous of these moments occurred at the FIFA World Cup 1966™ Final, in which Geoff Hurst’s shot hit the crossbar and bounced directly down and back out on the pitch. It was deemed the ball indeed had landed over the goal line, and England were awarded a third goal, but to this day it is a hotly debated decision – especially in Germany!

However, these discussions became a thing of the past by the time the FIFA World Cup 2014™ came around, with the tournament implementing Goal Line Technology (GLT) for the very first time. The ‘Goal Control’ technology focused seven cameras on each goal, swiftly sending data of the ball’s precise positioning so that goal discrepancies could be closely examined from every angle. The referee would then get an alert on his dedicated watch, advising that ball had definitively crossed the line.

However, GLT showed that the keeper’s hand actually knocks the ball over the line before he scoops it back to safety, and the watch of the Brazilian referee Sandro Ricci duly vibrated with the confirmation that France was officially 2-0 up – a score-line to which Benzema added a third goal at 72 minutes.

While it was not the crowning moment of the Honduran keeper’s career, which included many more positive memories over 135 international matches, it marked a major milestone in football’s journey alongside technology. He became the unfortunate protagonist of a defined moment in football history, which is marked by his shirt from the game within the Innovation in Action exhibition.

Until 31 March 2026, visitors to the FIFA Museum can step in our special exhibition and follow the innovation of football through time and reflect on the moments in history that paved the way for the game we know today.