The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) rescued the Portuguese national team against Croatia, disallowing a 103rd-minute equalizer for the Slavic side and subsequently sending Portugal through to the 2026 World Cup Round of 16.
With Portugal leading 2-1 in the final moments of stoppage time, a dramatic sequence unfolded that will be remembered for years to come.
A Croatian cross deflected off the head of defender Renato Veiga and found Mario Pasalic, who quickly passed it to Josko Gvardiol. The Manchester City defender tapped the ball into the net, seemingly sealing a last-gasp equalizer for Croatia.
Emotional Rollercoaster and Espen Eskas’s Controversial Call
As Croatian players celebrated frantically, cameras caught a visibly angry and disappointed Cristiano Ronaldo on the Portuguese bench—until Norwegian referee Espen Eskas made a highly controversial intervention.
Pasalic was in an offside position when he received the ball, but because it had deflected off Veiga first, the rule states that if a defender “deliberately” plays the ball to an opponent, offside is waived.
However, the VAR team and Eskas saw it differently. Upon reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor, the Norwegian referee ruled that the ball had struck Veiga unintentionally. Consequently, Pasalic was deemed actively offside, and the goal was dramatically overturned.
Historic Heartbreak for Croatia
The Portuguese camp breathed a massive sigh of relief following one of the most controversial VAR decisions in World Cup history. With this loss, Croatia exits the tournament in the Round of 32 for the first time, having reached at least the semi-finals in the previous two editions.
⚽️🔥 الإثارة كانت مستمرة حتى اللحظات الأخيرة… كرواتيا تدرك التعادل في الوقت القاتل لكن تقنية الفيديو تلغي الهدف! 🎥❌#كأس_العالم2026 | #مونديال2026 | #كأس_العالم#beINWC26 | #FIFAWorldCup2026 | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/LBR3xNF1ZJ
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) July 3, 2026
