Croatian Football Federation demands FIFA investigation into controversial refereeing in World Cup loss to Portugal

Hupu July 15 — The day after Croatia's 1–2 loss to Portugal in the Round of 16 of the World Cup, the Croatian Football Federation sent a strongly worded open letter to FIFA, demanding explanations for several highly controversial decisions during the match. Croatian media outlet Jutarnji list obtained the full text of the letter.

As of now, FIFA has not responded to this letter.

Open Letter from the Croatian Football Federation to FIFA

This World Cup has once again demonstrated the immense influence and appeal of football as the world's number one sport. Therefore, we must uphold the most fundamental values of football — fairness, justice, sportsmanship, and the equal application of the Laws of the Game to all teams.

Precisely because several decisions in this match sparked massive global controversy, with strong reactions from referees, media, football experts, and fans worldwide, we find it necessary to write to FIFA to seek clarification on the standards applied by the referees in enforcing the Laws of the Game and VAR-related procedures during the Round of 16 match between Croatia and Portugal on July 2, 2026, in Toronto.

Disallowed Goals and VAR Intervention

In the second half of the match, Croatia had three goals disallowed due to delayed offside flags.

Furthermore, after VAR intervention, Portugal was awarded a penalty, which allowed them to equalize. However, the referee was near the site of the incident at the time, could clearly see the physical contact, and initially deemed it insufficient for a penalty.

Given this, the decision clearly did not constitute a "clear and obvious error."

Considering that similar physical contact occurs in the penalty area in almost every match, we also believe that this cannot reasonably be considered a "clear and obvious error" by the referee. In other words, this decision did not meet either of the two basic conditions for VAR intervention. Therefore, according to the VAR protocol, the video assistant referee had neither the right nor the obligation to call the referee to the monitor for an on-field review.

The Most Controversial Decision: Gvardiol's Disallowed Goal

The most controversial decision occurred in the 103rd minute. At that time, referee Escos disallowed Gvardiol's goal, citing an offside by Pashalic.

Subsequently, FIFA's official explanation stated:

"The chip embedded in the official match ball detected that Matanovic touched the ball, so the referee correctly ruled offside and disallowed Gvardiol's goal."

However, at the same time, the FIFA website's explanation of the offside rule states:

"Hair is only considered part of the body if it affects the movement or trajectory of the ball. This is usually only possible when a significant amount of hair makes clear contact with the ball, such as a topknot."

Therefore, we cannot understand:

• Did the referee disallow the goal because he believed a single strand of Matanovic's hair touched the ball, or because he believed this contact changed the ball's trajectory?

Based on all publicly available footage, no such conclusion can be drawn.

In fact, all publicly available videos clearly show:

• After the ball passed Matanovic's head, its direction, trajectory, speed, and spin did not change at all.

That is to say:

Matanovic did not actually touch the ball, and therefore the offside ruling should not have been made.

We believe that allowing an almost imperceptible vibration, detected only by a sensor, to decide the outcome of such an important match is a fundamental error.

We do not believe that football, the fans, the players, the referees, the spirit of the game, or even FIFA itself, benefit from trusting technology more than what is clearly visible to the human eye.

As the whole world — not just Croatian fans — has shown, almost no one believes Matanovic actually touched the ball.

When technology tries to convince the public of the opposite, such decisions are called "blatant robbery" or "technology is ruining football." This widespread negative sentiment not only damages FIFA's image but also undermines public trust in football technology.

This is particularly regrettable because we have always believed that technology should play a positive and welcome role in football, but certainly not in this way.

Questions About VAR Procedure

Furthermore, there is an even more perplexing question:

If the sensor data already proved beyond doubt that contact occurred, and the VAR team had confirmed the offside, why was the referee called to the monitor to review the footage?

According to the rules, this should have been a purely factual decision that VAR could have made independently. Conversely, if the referee indeed needed to view the footage himself, what exactly did he see? Which specific image convinced him that Matanovic actually touched the ball, or that his action affected the ball's movement?

Additionally, data displayed at the bottom of the television broadcast clearly shows:

The peak representing the "touch" appeared earlier than the time the ball approached Matanovic. Such an image is fundamentally insufficient to serve as crucial evidence for deciding the match result.

Formal Request to FIFA

Therefore, we formally request that FIFA provide the Croatian Football Federation with the complete video footage preserved in the VAR room to confirm:

• Why the so-called "touch peak" appeared before the ball even approached Matanovic.

We fully understand that no explanation from FIFA can change the fact that Croatia was eliminated by Portugal. We respect the Portuguese national team and congratulate them on advancing to the next round.

However, the World Cup is an event watched by billions of fans worldwide. Therefore, we believe it is necessary to further strengthen public trust in refereeing decisions, especially regarding the standards and procedures for using modern technology, to prevent its misuse or deviation from its original purpose.

What happened in this match, especially the final offside decision, has caused immense dissatisfaction among football fans globally, which undoubtedly harms the sport itself during this historic World Cup.

Therefore, we believe FIFA has a responsibility to:

• Conduct a thorough investigation into all controversial decisions in this match;
• Provide a complete explanation for all referee decisions that affected the match result.

Although these explanations can no longer give the Croatian national team another chance, nor allow Luka Modric to make another charge for World Cup glory in his illustrious international career,

We sincerely hope that in the future, through clearer decision-making standards and improved technical processes, similar unjust decisions that go against the essence of football can be avoided. A sensor must never be allowed to outweigh what is clearly visible to the human eye.

Regrettably, such decisions have deeply disappointed countless fans, whether those supporting Croatia in the stadium or football enthusiasts, media, commentators, and the public worldwide.

We firmly believe that similar incidents can be avoided in the future. It is for this reason that we have decided to formally question FIFA in this manner. We also understand that no explanation can soothe the tears, sorrow, and disappointment of Croatian players and fans.

Based on all the above, we respectfully request that FIFA seriously consider the issues and suggestions we have raised and provide an official response.

Source: X