Scandal erupts after elimination! Croatia files complaint with FIFA over refereeing in Portugal match
Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
The Croatian Football Federation has lodged an official complaint with FIFA over the refereeing in their World Cup 2026 clash against Portugal.
Details: Croatia fell to Portugal 1-2 in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup and exited the tournament, after which the HNS protested the performance of the officiating team led by Espen Eskås.
The main grievances from the Croatian side center around several key moments. In the 68th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty awarded for a foul by Nikola Vlašić on Renato Veiga.
Another controversial incident unfolded deep into stoppage time, in the 13th added minute. Croatia found the net, but after a VAR review, Espen Eskås disallowed the goal for offside against Mario Pašalić.
According to RTL Danas, the Croatian Football Federation is also dissatisfied with the actions of the VAR team, believing that the video assistants made incorrect calls in crucial moments of the match.
Reminder: Earlier, we reported that Cristiano moves the football world with a heartfelt confession after the win over Croatia
