Croatia’s late equaliser against Portugal in their World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match is ruled out after VAR reviews determine an offside offence. Multiple outlets report that Croatia believed it had forced extra time with a goal in the 103rd minute, but the intervention overturns the scoreline and Portugal advances with a 2-1 win.
FIFA states that its Connected Ball Technology detects a faint touch by Croatian forward Igor Matanovic. According to the explanations, that touch occurs before the ball reaches offside player Mario Pasalic, who is involved in the build-up play that leads to Josko Gvardiol’s goal. Officials then use the match ball’s internal IMU sensor data, along with the Snicko “ball sensor” technology, to confirm the contact.
The VAR decision is presented as being based on the timing of the touch and its effect on the offside phase, and FIFA says it correctly applies the offside rule. The ruling triggers anger from Croatian players and fans, but the official outcome remains unchanged: Portugal progresses, and Croatia’s goal is disallowed.
