Zlatan Ibrahimovic Slams VAR Controversy in Croatia-Portugal Showdown

Zlatan Ibrahimovic criticized VAR's decision to void Croatia's equalizer against Portugal, calling it a 'robbery.' He claimed no Croatian touched the ball, highlighting Portugal's player involvement. Ibrahimovic expressed disappointment over the technology's malfunction, leading to Croatia's elimination from the match.

Legendary footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic has lashed out at the VAR decision that nullified Croatia's dramatic equalizer against Portugal, describing it as a 'robbery.' According to Ibrahimovic, there was nothing illicit about the goal as Portugal's Renato Veiga appeared to have touched the ball, effectively nullifying any offside ruling.

Ibrahimovic speculated on potential malfunctions or errors with the VAR system, insisting that no Croatian player had altered the ball's trajectory. He shared his strong opinions with Gazzetta and Fox Sports, as reported by Goal.com, indicating he saw a clean goal in the contentious 2-2 situation. He stated, 'Either the ball sensor malfunctioned or something went awry because Renato Veiga touched the ball, negating any offside. Croatia's number 20 didn't interfere, nor change its path.'

The controversy arose after Portugal secured qualification with a late Goncalo Ramos goal, taking a 2-1 lead in stoppage time. Croatia believed you'd forced extra time when Josko Gvardiol scored, although the goal was reversed after VAR intervention. The slightest contact by Matanovic led referee Espen Eskas to overturn it, noting Pasalic's offside position in the play's build-up.