Referees disallowed Croatia’s late goal in their FIFA World Cup match against Portugal after a VAR review determined Mario Pasalic was offside. The decision confirmed Portugal’s 2-1 victory and ended Croatia’s tournament run.
Gonçalo Ramos scored the winning goal in the 94th minute, with a header that proved decisive. It marked only the second time in Portuguese World Cup history that the team needed to come from behind to win in the knockout stage, highlighting their resilience on football’s biggest stage.
The ending was controversial, as Croatia argued the ball never hit Igor Matanovic’s head, which would have made Pasalic’s offside position valid. A ball-tracking chip provided concrete evidence that aided the referee’s decision, marking the 10th goal overturned by VAR in this World Cup.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo made history during the match by becoming the oldest player to participate in a knockout stage game at 41 years and 147 days old. He also became the oldest player to score in a World Cup knockout match after converting a penalty in the 65th minute when Portugal was down 1-0.
Ronaldo’s goal sparked celebrations, and he performed his signature
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
