Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in a tense World Cup match that ends with major VAR intervention. Multiple reports describe the finish as dramatic, with Croatia pushing for an equaliser late in the game. The final swing comes after a VAR check: an apparent Croatia equalising effort is denied following a review by match officials using video technology.
The outcome prolongs Portugal’s involvement in the tournament and keeps veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo on the World Cup stage for another day, according to the coverage. For Croatia, the VAR decision prevents the late comeback and leads to their elimination from the tournament.
As a result, Luka Modrić’s final World Cup appearance is also brought to an end by the same match moment, with reports describing his exit as forced by the late VAR drama. Overall, the sources agree that the match’s decisive phase is the VAR call that nullifies Croatia’s equaliser and confirms Portugal’s progression following a wild finish.