Matanović Confirms Hair Contact on Disallowed Goal in Croatia's World Cup Exit

Croatia's hopes for the 2026 World Cup were dashed in a controversial 1-2 loss to Portugal during the Round of 16 match in Toronto. The defeat came after a late goal by Joško Gvardiol in the 13th minute of second-half stoppage time was disallowed following a VAR review.

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I think I felt a small contact with my hair. I wasn't 100 percent sure, I asked the referee, and he told me they have a chip in the ball and that there was contact, so it's offside.

The crucial moment centered on a potential offside call. The VAR system, utilizing a chip embedded in the ball, determined that Croatian forward Igor Matanović had made contact with the ball before it reached Gvardiol. This contact, however slight, placed Gvardiol in an offside position, nullifying the equalizer.

Matanović himself acknowledged a possible touch. "I think I felt a small contact with my hair," he stated after the match. "I wasn't 100 percent sure, I asked the referee, and he told me they have a chip in the ball and that there was contact, so it's offside." He expressed significant disappointment, noting the difficulty in processing the loss after what he felt was a strong performance by the Croatian team.

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Hard to find the right words after a game like this. We played a really good game in the second half and deserved more. I haven't seen the penalty yet, but if you award this... Three goals, offside, post... I have no words, there was a lot of bad luck for us today.

Despite the painful exit, Matanović remained forward-looking. "When I came in, I had a good feeling on the field. We played a really good game, but this will hurt," he said. "We have to lift our heads, move on, and go for success at the Euros."

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When I came in, I had a good feeling on the field. We played a really good game, but this will hurt. We have to lift our heads, move on, and go for success at the Euros.