Portugal survived the most dramatic of finishes to eliminate Croatia from the 2026 World Cup in Toronto, with a VAR decision of enormous consequence settling the tie.
Croatia thought they had equalised in the 13th minute of stoppage time when Josko Gvardiol tapped home from close range, sparking wild celebrations among the Croatian players and supporters.
BBC commentator Steve Wilson described it as “one of the biggest VAR decisions there has ever been” as officials moved to review the goal for offside.
The key question centred on whether Croatia’s Igor Matanovic had flicked the ball on during the build-up, with any touch rendering him offside and cancelling the goal.
Norwegian referee Espen Eskas reviewed replay after replay as the stadium held its breath, with television pictures appearing far from conclusive to the naked eye.
Snickometer-style technology, using a microchip inside the Adidas Trionda match ball, ultimately provided the data that proved decisive in ruling the goal out.
Premier League official Jarred Gillett was the VAR involved, and the ball’s chip detected a touch from Matanovic, ending Croatia’s hopes in the cruelest possible fashion.
Furious Croatia supporters threw plastic bottles onto the pitch following the decision, with the ruling coming almost from the final kick of the match.
Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic was scathing in his post-match assessment, saying “VAR kills emotions, it kills everything within you” and adding that “we have gone too far with VAR.”
Dalic also said “the refereeing was very bad” and that “no fouls, no set-pieces on our side which should have been” had been given throughout the contest.
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez defended the technology, stating “the balls now have a chip and the sensor shows the ball was touched” and insisting “there is no bad decision or lucky decision.”
Former England defender Matt Upson, speaking on 5 Live, was not fully convinced, saying “I don’t think he touches that ball” after viewing initial replays of the incident.
Upson later added that “the spin on the ball doesn’t change” and that while “it looks like Matanovic has touched that ball,” he could not see it “beyond any reasonable doubt.”
Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann offered a firmer verdict, messaging presenter Mark Chapman to confirm that “Snicko… that 100% proves that he touched it with the flick-on.”
For Cristiano Ronaldo it was a night of wild contrasts, having earlier scored from the penalty spot to make it 1-1, his first ever World Cup knockout stage goal across six tournaments.
He had also seen a sublime equaliser ruled out by offside before being substituted in the 81st minute, only to race onto the pitch celebrating when Goncalo Ramos put Portugal 2-1 ahead in the 94th minute.
Former England winger Theo Walcott said of the decision to remove Ronaldo: “I think it was the right decision in the end, it really was.”
For Luka Modric, making his 23rd World Cup appearance, the defeat almost certainly signals the end of his tournament career, with the 40-year-old set to be 44 by the time the next edition arrives in 2030.
Modric, who made his Croatia debut in 2006 and reached 200 international appearances during this tournament, was consoled on the pitch by Ronaldo, his former Real Madrid team-mate.
Former Brazil midfielder Lucas Leiva paid tribute, telling BBC Sport: “A legend of the game. I think he has shown for 20-odd years how good he is. You feel sad for him, but he has had a great career.”
