At the 1990 World Cup in Italy, Petrović was the main referee in the England vs. Netherlands group stage match, as well as in the Sweden vs. Costa Rica group stage match.
At the same tournament he performed linesman duties at two more matches - the group stage match Austria vs. United States as well as the round of 16 contest Italy vs. Uruguay.
Furthermore, Petrović refereed the 1992 UEFA Cup Final return leg match at Amsterdam's Olympic Stadium that saw Ajax take on Torino Calcio.
After refereeing at two World Cups, Zoran Petrović signed a professional contract with the Japan Football Association.
League from 1994 until 1997, with the added task of passing his experience and knowledge onto upstart Japanese referees being stipulated as one of his contractual obligations in the country.