Croatia Outraged After Controversial Offside Call Ends World Cup 2026 Run

Croatia's journey in the 2026 World Cup ended in heartbreak after a 2-1 loss to Portugal in the round of 16, but the defeat was overshadowed by controversy over three disallowed goals. Among these was a dramatic late goal that was ruled offside, sparking widespread anger across Croatia. Local media outlets expressed strong criticism of the refereeing decisions, calling for explanations from the officials. The Croatian news site Vecernji described the elimination as "unbelievable" and "especially painful," highlighting that the three disallowed goals resulted from borderline calls and demanding accountability from the referees. Similarly, 24sata praised the Croatian team’s performance but accused the referee of consistently favoring Portugal in close decisions, stating that the final offside call "shattered the entire nation." The offside ruling was confirmed by ball sensor technology, which detected a touch by Croatian player Metanovic that led to the goal being disallowed, indicating the decision was based on technology rather than subjective judgment. This technological intervention was a key factor in the dramatic conclusion of the match and Croatia's exit from the tournament.