Croatia captain Luka Modric has criticised the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) following his country's dramatic 2-1 defeat to Portugal in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Croatian legend expressed frustration after his side saw two goals ruled out for offside, while Portugal were awarded a penalty that Croatia believed was highly contentious.

Speaking after the match, Modric argued that VAR should only be used in situations where the referee's mistake is unquestionably obvious, insisting that marginal decisions continue to rob teams of crucial moments.

“That is why I say it should be used if the error is 200%. If a situation can be interpreted in different ways, then you have no influence. This frustrates me and it always harms us,” Modric told Marca.

Despite his disappointment, the veteran midfielder urged his teammates to accept the outcome and move forward.

“Let's move on. We will not complain, but some things bother me because they affect everything you work for, everything you sacrifice.”

Croatia looked to be on course for a place in the Round of 16 after Ivan Perisic opened the scoring in the 53rd minute following an assist from Ante Budimir.

Just two minutes later, Igor Matanovic thought he had doubled Croatia's advantage, but VAR ruled his effort out for offside.

Portugal found a route back into the contest in the 63rd minute after Nikola Vlasic was adjudged to have fouled Renato Veiga inside the penalty area. Cristiano Ronaldo calmly converted from the spot to restore parity.

Deep into stoppage time, Goncalo Ramos headed home Rafael Leao's cross to complete Portugal's comeback.

Croatia believed they had forced extra time when Josko Gvardiol found the net in the 103rd minute, only for another VAR review to rule out the goal for offside in the build-up.

Portugal also had two goals disallowed for offside during the encounter, underlining how heavily VAR influenced the outcome of the contest.

The victory sends Portugal into the Round of 16, while Croatia's World Cup journey comes to a heartbreaking end.

Opinion

Modric's frustration reflects a debate that continues to divide football. VAR has undoubtedly corrected numerous clear errors since its introduction, but its involvement in marginal offside calls and subjective fouls often leaves players and supporters feeling more frustrated than reassured. The technology is designed to improve fairness, yet matches like Croatia's defeat show that when decisions come down to inches and lengthy reviews, the conversation after the final whistle is often about officiating rather than football itself.