Former Sweden captain and AC Milan senior adviser Zlatan Ibrahimović has claimed that Croatia national football team were “robbed” in their 2–1 defeat to Portugal national football team in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32.
Speaking as a Fox Sports pundit after the match, Ibrahimović criticised the decision to disallow Joško Gvardiol’s dramatic stoppage-time equaliser following a VAR review. FIFA’s Connected Ball Technology determined that Igor Matanović had made a slight touch before the ball reached Gvardiol, resulting in an offside decision.
Ibrahimović disagreed with the ruling, saying:
“For me, that is a goal… Croatia were robbed.”
He also suggested that the controversial decision paved the way for a high-profile Round of 16 clash between Portugal and Spain national football team, while criticising Cristiano Ronaldo’s influence on the Portuguese team.
The match ended 2–1 in Portugal’s favour after Gonçalo Ramos scored a late winner. Croatia’s would-be equaliser in the closing moments was ruled out after the VAR review, a decision that has sparked widespread debate among pundits and fans.
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