A major VAR controversy overshadowed Portugal’s thrilling 2-1 victory over Croatia in the World Cup knockout stages, prompting Zlatan Ibrahimovic to unleash furious accusations of corruption. The former Swedish striker, now a television pundit, strongly criticised the decision to overturn Croatia’s injury-time equaliser, suggesting that football’s governing bodies had influenced the result.
Late equaliser ruled out
The pulsating encounter appeared to have been decided when Goncalo Ramos scored a dramatic 94th-minute goal to put Portugal 2-1 ahead. However, in the dying moments of stoppage time, Josko Gvardiol bundled the ball over the line, seemingly securing a last-gasp equaliser for Croatia. The video assistant referee then intervened, controversially disallowing the goal after FIFA stated that Connected Ball Technology had detected a faint touch from Igor Matanovic. Yet, broadcast replays offered no definitive evidence to support the ruling.
Ibrahimovic launches searing criticism
The disputed decision robbed a determined Croatian side of a potential comeback and triggered an impassioned response from Ibrahimovic. Speaking to the Italian publication Gazzetta, the Fox Sports pundit vehemently questioned the reliability of the technology and accused football authorities of favouring a Portugal versus Spain round-of-16 clash.
Ibrahimovic said: “It was a fantastic match, but VAR ruined it at the end. I saw nothing wrong with the 2-2 goal; VAR disallowed it, but to me, it was a robbery. Either the sensor in the ball malfunctioned or something went wrong, because Renato Veiga clearly touched the ball, which means there was no offside. Look carefully: Croatia’s number 20 never made contact or altered the ball’s path. It’s Portugal’s number 13 [Veiga] who touches it!”
Corruption claims spark outrage
The Swedish legend went further, insisting that such a decisive call in the final seconds of a knockout match demanded absolute certainty. He alleged that the decision-making apparatus was biased toward ensuring Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal advanced further in the competition.
Ibrahimovic continued: “If an opponent touches the ball, how can the Croatian scorer be offside? Ridiculous! The Croatians gave everything and were robbed of a dream moment at this World Cup. To disallow a goal in the 90th minute, the evidence must be unequivocal — this was anything but. That wasn’t refereeing; it was outright theft. For me, it’s obvious that FIFA wanted Portugal and Ronaldo in the Round of 16 against Spain.”
Portugal focus on next challenge
Portugal must now put the officiating storm behind them as they gear up for a heavyweight round-of-16 showdown with European champions Spain. Roberto Martinez’s men showed great resolve to fight back in the second half but will face an even sterner challenge in Texas. Reintegrating a frustrated Cristiano Ronaldo, who looked visibly upset after being substituted late in the match, will be crucial if Portugal are to breach Spain’s disciplined defensive setup.
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