VAR denies Croatia late equalizer, Portugal advances at World Cup
Joško Gvardiol’s stoppage-time equalizer was wiped out by VAR, and Portugal’s 2-1 win sent Croatia out after Ronaldo and Ramos scored.
VAR erased Joško Gvardiol’s stoppage-time equalizer in Toronto, and Portugal held on for a 2-1 win over Croatia in the World Cup round of 32. The offside ruling turned a frantic finish into elimination for Croatia and sent Portugal through to the Round of 16.
Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 68th minute after Croatia had taken control early through Ivan Perišić’s goal in the 53rd. Gonçalo Ramos then settled it in the 90+4 minute, heading in the winner in stoppage time as Portugal came from behind at Toronto Stadium.
The final minutes centered on the Video Assistant Referee system. FIFA used advanced semi-automated offside technology at the 2026 World Cup, pairing connected ball data and player-tracking cameras with 3D visualizations for fans and broadcasters. VAR was first included in the Laws of the Game in 2018/19 to make decisions faster and more reproducible.
Four efforts were ruled out for offside, including a disallowed Ronaldo goal. Gvardiol’s late finish looked to have made it 2-2 before the goal was ruled out, leaving Portugal’s victory intact.
Croatia’s Zlatko Dalic and Luka Modric reacted angrily after the decision. Modric was frustrated by the calls. It was the first World Cup meeting between Portugal and Croatia, with Spain now waiting in the next round.
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