The 3 controversial calls against Croatia:
1. The offside on Sucic.
2. The penalty dive by Veiga.
3. The offside on Matanovic.
This has to go down as one of the biggest scandals in World Cup history.
🚨Zlatan Ibrahimović on Joško Gvardiol’s disallowed goal as Croatia suffered a dramatic last-minute World Cup elimination to Portugal:
🗣️ “Football can be unbelievably cruel.
I don’t care what anyone says—I think Croatia have every right to feel robbed.
I’ve watched the replay, and I still don’t see enough to convince me that Gvardiol was offside.
When you disallow a goal in the final seconds of a World Cup knockout match, it has to be obvious.
For me, it wasn’t obvious.
That goal should have stood.
Croatia believed they had saved themselves. The players celebrated, the fans exploded, and in a few seconds it was all taken away.
Those are the moments that break teams.
Instead of talking about an incredible late equaliser, we’re talking about another VAR controversy.
Portugal will celebrate because they’ve gone through, and congratulations to them.
But if I were Croatia, I’d leave that pitch feeling like football had taken something away from me tonight.”
🚨 🗣️Luka Modric absolutely blasts the referees: "The referees did everything to favour Portugal throughout the match. They gave an offside to a clear Goal in the end. Might as well hand-over the trophy to them already"
🚨Thierry Henry on Portugal being awarded a penalty after the VAR review:
🗣️ “I can't believe they've given that. For me, that's never a penalty. If that's enough to win a penalty in a FIFA World Cup knockout match, then we're setting a dangerous standard.
Croatia have defended brilliantly for most of the game, and now all of that hard work could be undone by a decision that I simply don't agree with. Football is a contact sport every bit of contact isn't a foul.
VAR was brought in to correct clear and obvious mistakes, not to manufacture penalties. The referee had a perfect view of the incident, yet after one trip to the monitor, he changes his mind. That's exactly why so many people are losing confidence in VAR.
If Portugal score from this, Croatia will feel they've been punished by the officials rather than beaten by football. Decisions like this can change the entire tournament, and for me, they've got this one completely wrong.”
🚨🗣️ Zlatan Ibrahimović on Fox Sports:
They overturned Cristiano's 3 match suspension. They didn't send off 2 Portugal players against DR Congo for Red card offense.
Few days ago They disallowed a legitimate Colombia winning goal and now they disallowed a Croatia's goal that could have won them the match.
Why is FIFA giving Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal so much favoritism?
🚨Gary Neville on Croatia’s last-minute disallowed goal against Portugal:
🗣️ “I have to say it—I think Croatia have been robbed there.
I’ve looked at the replay, and I don’t see a clear offside. If you’re going to overturn a goal in a World Cup knockout match, you need absolute certainty, and I’m not convinced that certainty is there.
From the angles I’ve seen, it looks incredibly tight. In situations like that, the benefit of the doubt should stay with the attacking team.
Croatia thought they had produced one of the moments of the tournament, and instead it’s taken away by a decision that will be talked about for a very long time.
Those are the decisions that players never forget. You fight for ninety minutes, you find the equaliser, and then you’re standing there watching lines on a screen.
For me, there wasn’t enough evidence to disallow it.
I think that goal should have stood, and Croatia will feel they’ve been denied one of the biggest moments in their football history.”