Portugal advanced to the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia, with VAR controversially ruling out a stoppage-time equaliser for Croatia. The decision, which relied on 'Snicko'-style technology and a chip inside the match ball, sent Croatia home and kept Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup dream alive.
Match Summary: Late Drama and VAR Controversy
Croatia took the lead in the second half through Ivan Perisic, but Cristiano Ronaldo equalised from the penalty spot 20 minutes from time. With the game heading to extra time, Goncalo Ramos headed Portugal ahead in the 94th minute. However, deep into stoppage time, Josko Gvardiol appeared to rescue Croatia, bundling the ball home in the 13th minute of added time.
Referee Espen Eskas initially allowed the goal, but VAR Jared Gillett intervened. After reviewing the incident, Eskas used 'Snicko' technology—similar to that used in cricket—to determine whether Croatia's Igor Matanovic had touched the ball in the build-up. The technology, which detects contact via soundwaves, showed a spike indicating Matanovic had made contact, ruling the goal offside.
Technology Under Scrutiny
FIFA confirmed that the match ball contains a chip that detects when it has been touched, feeding real-time data to VAR. The 'Snicko' system has been in use since the last World Cup and was also employed at the 2024 European Championship. Despite the technology, video evidence was inconclusive, with Matanovic's contact barely visible to the human eye.
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic was furious after the match, stating, "I will not comment much about it but I will say the refereeing was very bad. No fouls, no set-pieces on our side which should have been but that's no reason to talk about the defeat. It was very bad refereeing." He added, "You were able to see to what extent emotions had been killed and, altogether all these decisions take you back and actually take the joy out of football. VAR kills emotions, it kills everything within you. We have gone too far with VAR."
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez defended the decision, saying, "It's a shame one of the two teams had to lose. But there is no bad decision or lucky decision. It was a clear moment. The balls now have a chip and the sensor shows the ball was touched."
Next Round: Portugal vs Spain
Portugal will now face reigning European champions Spain in the last 16, with the match scheduled for Monday night in Dallas. Ronaldo and his teammates will look to continue their World Cup campaign against a familiar rival.
