Portugal Manager Roberto Martinez Praises VAR Review In High-Stakes Croatia Clash: 'There Were No Bad Decisions'

FIFA World Cup 2026: Portugal clinched a nail-biting win over Croatia in the Round of 32 clash at the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Friday, July 3, at the Toronto Stadium in Ontario.

The first half of the high-voltage encounter ended goalless, with Portugal enjoying more possession. However, Croatia turned the game around in the second half when Ivan Perisic broke the deadlock to give his side the lead. Cristiano Ronaldo quickly restored parity, converting a penalty in the 68th minute.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez made a bold move in the 81st minute, substituting Ronaldo. In stoppage time, Gonçalo Ramos stepped up as the super sub, scoring with a header to put Portugal ahead.

The drama continued in the dying moments as Croatia pushed for an equalizer. Josko Gvardiol found the net, but his effort was ruled out for offside. Croatia had two goals disallowed for offside in the match.

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Roberto Martinez Defends VAR Decisions In Portugal's Clash Against Croatia

Speaking after the game, Martinez backed the VAR decision that denied Gvardiol’s late strike, insisting there were no bad calls.

“There were no bad decisions. Today we were fortunate,” Martinez said at the post-match press conference.

He praised the technology used in modern football, noting that the chip in the ball confirmed Croatia’s equalizer was offside. Martinez also lauded Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić for his work with the team.

“The chip ball showed that it was offside, the penalty was also clear. I understand the work of (Croatia coach Zlatko) Dalić in this team and it is a shame that there was only one winner today,” he added.

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Portugal To Face Spain In RO16

Portugal will now face Spain in their Round of 16 clash at the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Tuesday, July 7, at the Dallas Stadium in Texas.