Luka Modric has accused the match officials of being swayed by the might of former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal following Croatias exit from the World Cup last night, claiming certain decisions were made on the size of the team. Modric, making his 202nd and most likely final appearance for his country, was furious after Croatia were denied a last-gasp equaliser in the round of 32 game in Toronto.Ivan Perisic put Croatia ahead only for a Ronaldo penalty to level the scores. Goncalo Ramos header in the 94th-minute appeared to have won it but there was still time for more drama with Josko Gvardiol seeing a last-gasp equaliser chalked off by the VAR, who used the footballing equivalent of crickets snickometer to deem Igor Matanovic had flicked the ball on.Table of ContentsModric insists there was no evidence to support Croatias equaliser being ruled outThese decisions always work to Croatias detriment ModricModric insists there was no evidence to support Croatias equaliser being ruled outIt appeared harsh on Croatia and Modric pulled no punches afterwards.He [the referee] says Matanovi touched the ball, but we watched the footage, theres no evidence that he touched the ball. If he doesnt touch the ball, its not offside, said Modric, who was even more incensed at the award of the Portugal penalty after Nikola Vlasic was adjudged to have dragged down Renato Veiga at a corner, referee Espen Eskas giving the spot-kick after being asked to review the footage on the pitchside monitor.We deserved a lot more. Some things didnt go our way. That penalty if it were the other way around, VAR would never have been involved, he added to Croatian media. I said about VAR at the start, when it was first introduced, that I didnt like it. Later, over time, its good for some things, but they use it incorrectly or use it selectively, or depending on the size of the team. VAR should intervene if its 200% a mistake, but if its not, if its in the grey zone theres no point in calling VAR. This is no penalty. Both players are pushing each other, Vlai didnt pull him, he [Veiga] held him and both of them fell. Thats why you cant call a penalty in a game like this. These decisions always work to Croatias detriment ModricHe continued: That annoys me and always works to our detriment. We wont complain about it, but of course some things bother me because fate decides, it decides the mood for everything you do, what you give up, you tear yourself apart, you fight. There are young players who come here and then something like this happens to them.They [the officials] are to blame for that and it is always to our detriment. I wont talk about it anymore, we can be proud of how we played, how we fought, how we represented Croatia, especially in the second half. That is the Croatia that everyone knows about, why we are so respected and loved in the world.Modric, 41, is now expected to retire from football altogether after a glittering career that saw him win six Champions League titles with Real Madrid, four alongside Ronaldo, as well as four La Liga crowns. Topics Cristiano Ronaldo Croatia National Football Team luka modric Portugal National Football Team Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read Cristiano Ronaldo leads tributes to Diogo Jota on first anniversary of Liverpool and Portugal stars death Jon Fisher 3rd July, 2026 Cristiano Ronaldo says Portugal will be prepared for Spain clash after controversial win over Croatia Jon Fisher 3rd July, 2026 Portugal v Croatia: Live commentary, updates, goals and stats as it happened as Ronaldo advances at World Cup 2026 Jon Fisher 3rd July, 2026 Cristiano Ronaldo: World Cup 2026 playing schedule, fixtures, kick off times, where to watch, confirmed news updates and full Portugal squad Ben Miller 3rd July, 2026 Portugal 2-1 Croatia: World Cup report, result and goals as Ronaldo helps Selecao survive late scare to set up Spain showdown Mitch Fretton 3rd July, 2026 Former Tottenham winger Perisic gives Croatia lead over Portugal before Ronaldo has goal ruled out Mitch Fretton 3rd July, 2026
