Croatian football icon Luka Modric expressed deep frustration regarding the role of video assistant referee technology during his team’s 2-1 loss to Portugal in the 2026 World Cup round of 32. Modric argued that the officiating decisions, particularly a disputed penalty and a disallowed late goal, adversely affected Croatia’s performance. He suggested that VAR intervention should be reserved for scenarios where errors are glaring, or essentially at a 200% margin, noting that current implementations often feel arbitrary.
During the match, Ivan Perisic initially put Croatia ahead in the 53rd minute following an Ante Budimir assist. Shortly after, Igor Matanovic had a goal ruled out for offside. Portugal equalized after Nikola Vlasic was penalized for holding Renato Veiga, allowing Cristiano Ronaldo to score from the spot. The game turned in the final moments when Goncalo Ramos headed home a cross from Rafael Leao. Although Josko Gvardiol believed he had leveled the match in stoppage time, officials overturned his effort due to an offside violation in the build-up. Despite the disappointment, Modric urged his teammates to move past the loss and focus on the future, despite his visible annoyance with how external factors influenced the result.
