Croatian supporters threw bottles onto the pitch after a late equaliser was disallowed by VAR in their World Cup match against Portugal. The incident occurred during stoppage time when Josko Gvardiol thought he had scored to force extra time, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
VAR Decision Sparks Outrage
Referee Espen Eskas reviewed the play and determined that Gvardiol was offside before the ball reached him. The decision was explained by Matt Upson on BBC: "It's offside. It doesn't matter if there's another touch from Veiga because of that initial header."
Fans reacted angrily, launching bottles onto the field and forcing a temporary halt to the game. Players from both teams looked on as the referee prepared to announce the decision.
Match Context and Impact
The match was a crucial World Cup fixture, with Portugal leading 1-0 at the time of the disallowed goal. Croatia had pushed hard for an equaliser and believed they had found it through Gvardiol's header. The VAR review dashed their hopes, leading to the fan outburst.
Security personnel were deployed to clear the bottles from the pitch before play could resume. The incident is likely to result in disciplinary action from FIFA.
