Croatia suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Portugal in the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup. However, the match ended in immense controversy as a dramatic, late equalizer by the Vatreni was overturned deep into stoppage time—a goal that would have rescued the Croatians and forced extra time.
Deep into added time, Mario Pašalić kept his composure inside the Portuguese penalty area to assist Joško Gvardiol, who had started the match on the bench. The defender slotted the ball home to seemingly level the score at 2-2, sparking wild celebrations on the pitch.
Everything appeared set for an additional 30 minutes of extra time. However, following a tense, lengthy VAR review, the officials determined that Pašalić was caught in an offside position after Igor Matanović slighlty touched the ball with his head, invalidating Gvardiol’s equalizer and officially securing the hard-fought 2-1 victory for Portugal.
After VAR review, Croatia is ruled offside and the goal is disallowed pic.twitter.com/QOhSueZzrL
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 3, 2026
Croatia failed to maintain the advantage
Following a scoreless first half, Croatia heap immense pressure on the Portuguese defense. Early in the second half, Ivan Perišić broke the deadlock to put the Vatreni ahead, a goal that forced Portugal to push forward with far greater attacking urgency.
Portugal’s equalizer eventually arrived when Cristiano Ronaldo finally found the back of the net in a World Cup knockout match. With momentum firmly on their side as the second half drew to a close, Gonçalo Ramos struck to make it 2-1 and complete the dramatic turnaround.
Despite a furious late push from Croatia—which so nearly yielded a legal equalizer—their efforts ultimately fell short. While the Vatreni pack their bags to return home, Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo march on to face Spain in a blockbuster Round of 16 showdown.
