Why was Croatia's goal ruled offside vs Portugal in FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32?
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Croatia thought they scored an equaliser only for it to be ruled offside.
Portugal, one of the European heavyweights in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, narrowly defeated 2018 finalists Croatia 2-1 thanks to a late Goncalo Ramos goal.
As it turns out, the game might have featured a lot more goals, including Vatreni’s possible tying goal right at the end of the game that was ruled off.
The outcome was almost called into doubt when Josko Gvardiol seemed to score a stunning equaliser for Croatia with practically the last kick of the game.
Following his equaliser, the referee rushed to the screen. He ruled the goal offside, allowing Portugal to win the game 2-1.
Why was Croatia’s goal ruled offside against Portugal in FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 32 match?
We explain why the late Gvardiol goal was ruled out, as well as the technologies utilised to make the judgement.
As Croatia attempted to square the score against Portugal, Josko Gvardiol seemed to score a spectacular equalising goal in the 12th minute of stoppage time.
However, the referee went to the monitor to review the play. He determined it was offside.
The event occurred during injury time, with Portugal leading 2-1. Vatreni winger Ivan Perisic sent in a cross from the left that bounced about in the six-yard box before Mario Pasalic crossed it for defender Josko Gvardiol to score.
Vatreni players were ecstatic before the referee came over for a video assessment (VAR).
Pasalic was in an onside area when Perisic sent the cross. The referee used Snicko technology to determine that Croatian attacker Igor Matanović flicked the ball in the air before it hit Portuguese centre-back Renato Veiga’s back.
Although it did touch Veiga, his involvement was unintentional. Thus the goal was ruled offside.
Why was Croatia’s goal ruled offside?
Igor Matanović was in an offside position who touched the ball.
Who won the match?
Portugal won 2-1.
Who scored the winning goal for Portugal?
Gonçalo Ramos.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.