Greatest Robbery in Football History! Why did VAR Disallow Josko Gvardiol's Last-Minute Goal Against Portugal?

In one of the most controversial moments of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Croatia appeared to score an equalizer deep in stoppage time, 103 minutes in to be exact, only for the Josko Gvardiol last minute goal to be disallowed in the most bewildering fashion. The decision, why Josko Gvardiol goal disallowed, has sent shockwaves through world football and left Croatia's players, fans, and neutrals absolutely furious.

What Actually Happened in the Build-Up?

An Ivan Perišić cross into the penalty area took a deflection off Renato Veiga and into the path of Mario Pašalić. The midfielder failed to control it, but the ball bounced off him perfectly into the path of Gvardiol, who tapped in Croatia's second from close range.

Why Was the Josko Gvardiol Goal Disallowed?

Initially, Mario Pašalić was in an onside position when Ivan Perišić delivered the cross. However, after a VAR review, officials determined that Igor Matanović had made a slight touch on the ball before it reached Pašalić. By the time Matanović redirected the cross, Pašalić had moved into an offside position, prompting the referee to disallow Gvardiol's goal.

The VAR's decision was based on the sensor located inside every single match ball; using that technology, the sensor detected Matanović did indeed ever-so-slightly make contact with the ball. Bizarrely, Norwegian referee Espen Eskas was called to the VAR screen to see various angles of the incident, none of which seemed capable of deciding with certainty whether Matanović had touched the ball.

Croatia was unable to create another chance, and its 2026 journey ended in the round of 32. Portugal will now advance to face Spain in the round of 16.