Huge VAR call prolongs Ronaldo's last dance but ends Modric's

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BBC commentator Steve Wilson called it "one of the biggest VAR decisions determination has ever been".

Trailing 2-1 to Portugal aft a melodramatic and chaotic 2nd half, Croatia thought they had equalised erstwhile Josko Gvardiol tapped location from adjacent scope successful the 13th infinitesimal of stoppage time.

They celebrated wildly, portion Cristiano Ronaldo, who had earlier scored his archetypal ever World Cup knockout extremity for his country, past been substituted, looked crestfallen connected the bench.

Extra clip looked certain. Step guardant the video adjunct referee - Premier League authoritative Jarred Gillett - arsenic a extremity cheque for offside was announced.

The large question was: Had Croatia's Igor Matanovic flicked the shot connected successful the build-up? If his caput had touched the ball, it was offside. If not, the extremity would stand.

Cue a tense hold arsenic Norwegian referee Espen Eskas watched replay aft replay, with TV pictures looking inconclusive. But a spike showed by Snickometer-style exertion suggested a interaction and the extremity was ruled out. It was astir the past footwear of the match.

The determination sparked chaotic scenes arsenic integrative bottles were thrown connected to the transportation by furious Croatia fans arsenic their World Cup dreams were ended successful the cruellest fashion.

For Croatia's 40-year-old fable Luka Modric it was surely the extremity of his World Cup career, portion Ronaldo's travel continues - conscionable hours aft his sister said the tourney was his "last dance".

It was a lucifer that had everything. From disallowed goals, a debated penalty, Ronaldo intrigue and VAR controversy, BBC Sport unpicks a singular 105 minutes of drama.

'It was not a atrocious determination oregon a fortunate decision'

So what precisely did hap successful that melodramatic finale?

The Snickometer - oregon Snicko - is associated with cricket, but successful caller years, shot has adopted akin technology.

The Trionda lucifer ball, made by Adidas for this year's World Cup, has a microchip successful it that tin observe erstwhile the shot has been touched.

It allows precise data, specified arsenic each idiosyncratic interaction of the shot with a footwear oregon hand, to beryllium instantly sent to the video adjunct referee successful existent time.

Similar exertion was utilized astatine the 2022 World Cup and 2024 European Championship.

Speaking astatine his post-match quality conference, Croatia brag Zlatko Dalic refused to springiness elaborate thoughts astir his broadside being denied a last-gasp equaliser.

"I volition not remark overmuch astir it but I volition accidental the refereeing was precise bad," helium said.

"No fouls, nary set-pieces connected our broadside which should person been but that's nary crushed to speech astir the defeat. It was precise atrocious refereeing.

"You were capable to spot to what grade emotions had been killed and, altogether each these decisions instrumentality you backmost and really instrumentality the joyousness retired of football.

"VAR kills emotions, it kills everything wrong you. We person gone excessively acold with VAR."

Portugal brag Roberto Martinez was much forthcoming.

"It's a shame 1 of the 2 teams had to lose," said the Spaniard. "But determination is nary atrocious determination oregon fortunate decision. It was a wide moment.

"The balls present person a spot and the sensor shows the shot was touched."

At the clip of the goal, erstwhile England defender Matt Upson, speaking to 5 Live, said it was hard to archer successful existent clip whether Matanovic touched it.

Upson said: "That surge of emotion of a last-second equaliser and past it's whisked distant from you. Has helium decidedly touched that?

"We're looking astatine a replay here. Can we warrant helium glances that?

"The rotation connected the shot doesn't change, that's each I know. I don't deliberation helium touches that ball. That's the archetypal space I've seen of that and I'm not convinced helium touches that shot astatine all."

Having seen it again, Upson added astatine full-time: "From what I tin see, I don't spot immoderate alteration successful absorption of the ball.

"What the telling happening is, is the rotation connected the shot doesn't alteration and it looks similar Matanovic has touched that shot but it's absorbing that they're saying beyond immoderate tenable uncertainty helium has.

"I can't rather spot that."

Meanwhile, erstwhile Premier League adjunct referee Darren Cann messaged Mark Chapman, who was presenting BBC One's sum of the game, to say: "He was offside erstwhile the shot was past played by a team-mate and the shot was deflected by the defender and not deliberately played, truthful the offside stands.

"Snicko... that 100% proves that helium touched it with the flick-on."

Image of Croatia's disallowed extremity against Portugal

Disallowed goal, equaliser & substitution - a roller coaster for Ronaldo

Ronaldo has ne'er won the World Cup and connected a rollercoaster nighttime of emotions successful Toronto, indispensable person thought his imagination of lifting the celebrated trophy was astir to extremity erstwhile Ivan Perisic enactment Croatia up aft a disappointing archetypal half.

Portugal's skipper past had a sublime equaliser ruled retired by a choky offside telephone earlier making it 1-1 from the punishment spot - the archetypal extremity helium has scored successful the knockout stages of the World Cup successful what is his sixth tournament.

Ronaldo past looked gutted arsenic helium was substituted successful the 81st infinitesimal of his 26th lucifer astatine a World Cup.

But that did not halt him moving connected to the transportation to observe erstwhile Goncalo Ramos enactment Portugal 2-1 up successful the 94th infinitesimal earlier Croatia's disallowed goal.

Ronaldo had played each infinitesimal of Portugal's run astatine this World Cup earlier this crippled - but present determination volition beryllium much questions arsenic to whether helium should proceed to start.

Former England subordinate Theo Walcott, speaking to BBC Sport, said it was the close determination successful the extremity to instrumentality Ronaldo off.

"Cristiano Ronaldo had his infinitesimal and we had this debate, reasoning astir taking him disconnected conscionable earlier helium had the offside extremity and I was similar 'you can't instrumentality him off'," Walcott said.

"I deliberation it was the close determination successful the end, it truly was."

'Legend of the game'

While Ronaldo lives to combat different time connected the World Cup stage, it is the extremity of an epoch for Modric, who volition beryllium 44 erstwhile the adjacent World Cup takes spot successful 2030.

The midfielder has already hinted that helium is approaching a defining infinitesimal with Croatia.

Modric, who was making his 23rd World Cup appearance, was consoled by Ronaldo, his erstwhile Real Madrid team-mate, aft the last whistle.

"I cognize I person reached a definite signifier successful my career," Modric said recently.

He had brought up his 200th quality for the nationalist squad successful Toronto connected 24 June, erstwhile Croatia defeated Panama 1-0 successful a radical game.

At the extremity of that game, Modric was lifted into the aerial by his team-mates to people his reaching the unthinkable milestone.

But determination were nary specified celebrations this clip for Modric, who made his Croatia debut successful 2006.

"It is precise harsh for Croatia to spell retired similar this, for Luka Modric, astir apt his past crippled successful the World Cup," erstwhile Brazil midfielder Lucas Leiva told BBC Sport.

"A fable of the game. I deliberation helium has shown for 20-odd years however bully helium is. You consciousness bittersweet for him, but helium has had a large career.

"He took Croatia to the highest level successful the World Cup. A large player."

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