2026 FIFA World Cup: Modric slams VAR for bias towards Ronaldo's Portugal

Croatia captain Luka Modric criticised the implementation of VAR and match officiating following his team's 2-1 defeat to Portugal in the round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 40-year-old midfielder spoke after two controversial video review decisions helped eliminate Croatia, setting up Portugal's round of 16 clash against Spain.

The match at Toronto Stadium saw Ivan Perisic give Croatia the lead before Cristiano Ronaldo equalised from the penalty spot in the 68th minute.

The penalty was awarded after VAR intervened to penalise Nikola Vlasic for grappling with Renato Veiga inside the box.

Modric, who won the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid, argued that the incident did not warrant an intervention.

"Today's incident was NEVER a penalty. They were both holding each other and both fell," Modric told reporters. "You can't decide a match like this with a penalty like that."

Goncalo Ramos later scored a stoppage-time winner for Portugal before Croatia had a potential equaliser ruled out by VAR for offside in the final moments of the match.

Modric suggested a bias in the officiating, claiming the initial penalty call would not have been made against their opponents.

"We deserved much more. Some things didn't go our way. If the situation had been reversed, VAR would NEVER have intervened," he added.

The veteran playmaker expressed his long-standing reservations about the technology, stating it should only be used for glaring errors.

"I said from the beginning, when VAR was introduced, that I didn't like it. It's useful for some things, but it's being used incorrectly or selectively," Modric explained. "VAR should only intervene if it's a 200% clear mistake."

He noted the emotional toll these decisions take on the squad, particularly the younger players experiencing the tournament in North America.

"These things frustrate me because they decide people's fate. They affect your emotions after everything you sacrifice and fight for," he said.

"We have young players coming through, and then something like this happens. It hurts, especially because it always seems to go against us. Still, we won't use it as an excuse."

The exit against Portugal likely marks the final international appearance for the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner.

Modric guided Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final in Russia and a third-place finish at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.