'If the roles had been reversed' - Furious Modric blasts VAR after controversial defeat

FBL-WC-2026-MATCH83-POR-CRO

Luka Modric criticised VAR after Croatia's World Cup exit to Portugal, insisting his side were unfairly treated following a controversial penalty and a disallowed equaliser. The Croatia captain questioned the consistency of officiating and suggested bigger nations receive more favourable decisions.

Croatia left frustrated by controversial decisions

Croatia's World Cup campaign ended in disappointment after a 2-1 defeat to Portugal, with two key refereeing decisions dominating the aftermath. A penalty awarded to Portugal and a later disallowed Croatia equaliser proved decisive in the result. Speaking after the match, Modric admitted Croatia deserved more from the contest, particularly after their second-half display. The veteran midfielder argued the penalty should never have been awarded and claimed VAR would not have intervened had the incident involved the opposite team.

Portugal v Croatia: Round of 32 - FIFA World Cup 2026

Modric questions how VAR is being used

The Croatia captain voiced his long-standing concerns about VAR, arguing that the technology is being applied inconsistently. He insisted it should only intervene when officials have made a clear and obvious mistake and suggested Croatia regularly suffer from marginal decisions.

"Yes, we deserved a lot more. Some things didn't go our way," Modric stated, as quoted by Jutarnji. "That penalty... If it were the other way around, VAR would never have been included. I said about VAR at the beginning, when it was first introduced, that I didn't like it.

"This is not a penalty. Both players are replaying, pushing, [Nikola] Vlasic did not pull it, he held it and both fell. That is why you cannot judge such a penalty in a match like this. That is why I say, it must be used if the mistake is 200 percent. If you can treat something this way and that, you have no say in it. That annoys me and always works to our detriment."

Disallowed equaliser deepens Croatia's frustration

Modric was equally frustrated by the decision to rule out Croatia's late equaliser. He said the referee told the players that Igor Matanovic had touched the ball, but claimed the replays did not support that explanation.

"He says that Matanovic touched the ball, but we watched the footage, you can't see him touching the ball anywhere. If he doesn't touch the ball, it's not offside," Modric explained.

modric

Croatia left to reflect after painful exit

Croatia must now come to terms with another major tournament disappointment after their World Cup campaign ended earlier. For Modric, the tournament in North America looks set to be his last World Cup, as he will be 44 at the next edition.