Croatia thought that they had scored a dramatic equaliser in the 13th minute of added time through Josko Gvardiol before it was ruled out for offside. A VAR review showed that Matanovic made contact with the ball in the build-up to the goal,

Veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo gets another day on the World Cup stage after Croatia are denied a late equaliser by a huge VAR call.

Just as it looked like Croatia had staved off elimination with an extra-time goal to tie the match at two, it was taken away by VAR after it was ruled to be offside thanks to a minuscule touch by Igor Matanović that ended up costing his side the goal.

WC - Portugal vs. Croatia - 07/02/2026 FIFA Men's World Cup Portugal Croatia

FIFA explains why VAR disallowed Croatia's late goal against Portugal, as Josko Gvardiol's strike was ruled offside, sparking intense controversy and debate.

There was a hugely dramatic finish to Egypt and Iran's 1-1 draw in Seattle, including an unusual - and tight - VAR offside call

Colombia and Portugal generated staggering ticket prices at the 2026 FIFA men's World Cup, and the match lived up to the hype.