Zlatan Ibrahimovic caused controversy by claiming that the referee and VAR stripped Croatia of a valid equalizer, while accusing the men in black of “doing everything to make Ronaldo win the World Cup”.
Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Croatia in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup on the morning of July 3 has still not ceased causing controversy. The focus lies in the 12th minute of second-half stoppage time, when Croatia put the ball into the net but the goal was disallowed after the referee consulted VAR.
Immediately after the match, Zlatan Ibrahimovic made a series of harsh statements on Fox Sports, claiming that the refereeing crew’s decision stripped away one of the most memorable moments of the tournament.
The former Swedish striker said: “The referees are doing everything to make Ronaldo win the World Cup, but then they say Messi is the one favored by FIFA.”
Ibrahimovic affirmed that he had reviewed the situation from multiple angles but did not see enough evidence to conclude offside. In the view of the former AC Milan and Manchester United star, if VAR has to take many minutes to freeze the frame, zoom in, and draw every offside line, it means the situation is by no means “clear and obvious”.
He emphasized: “If it’s not clear enough, the goal must be recognized. That is the spirit of VAR.”
