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VAR overturns Croatian goal in the final phase against Portugal at the 2026 World Cup
Teams 3 July 2026

VAR overturns Croatian goal in the final phase against Portugal at the 2026 World Cup

Josko Gvardiol appeared to score the equalizer for Croatia against Portugal in the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup in the closing seconds, but VAR intervened: the goal was disallowed for offside, to the frustration of the Croats.

The knockout match between Portugal and Croatia at the 2026 World Cup in Toronto had a particularly exciting final phase. In injury time, Croatia thought they could tie the score through Josko Gvardiol, after the defender put the ball into the Portuguese net from a close scrum. While the Croatian players and fans were already cheering, the celebration was rudely interrupted by the intervention of the VAR.

After a brief but tense video review, the officials ruled that Gvardiol was in an offside position at the moment of the decisive pass. The goal was disallowed, meaning Croatia were denied an equalizer and Portugal took the lead.

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With this decision, the score remained in favor of Portugal, which qualified for the next round of the tournament thanks to this narrow victory. For Croatia it means a painful end after 90 minutes of fighting football and a sour ending due to VAR intervention.

The role of VAR is once again a topic of discussion during this World Cup, now that a goal in the final seconds once again makes the difference between staying on or going home.


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