Ibrahimovic criticized the referee for “doing everything possible to help Ronaldo win the World Cup”.
Ibrahimovic claims referee bias in Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Croatia.
Portugal’s narrow 2-1 win over Croatia in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup on the morning of July 3rd left a controversial aftermath. The focus of the protest was the refereeing team’s decision in the 12th minute of added time in the second half, when Croatia’s equalizer was disallowed by VAR for offside.
Immediately after the final whistle, former star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic made extremely harsh statements on Fox Sports. The 44-year-old player did not hesitate to make an accusatory statement: “The referees are doing everything they can to make Ronaldo win the World Cup, but then they say Messi is the one favored by FIFA.”
Ibrahimovic claims referees favored Portugal (Photo: Getty)
According to the former AC Milan and Manchester United star, the decision to disallow Croatia’s goal deprived the team of one of the most emotional and memorable moments of this year’s tournament. Ibrahimovic asserted that he reviewed the situation from multiple angles and believes there was insufficient convincing evidence to conclude that the Croatian player was offside.
Furthermore, the Swedish striker expressed his frustration with how VAR technology is interfering too much and detracting from the natural beauty of the sport. He emphasized that if a situation requires the refereeing team to spend minutes pausing, zooming in, and drawing boundary lines, it means the foul was not “clear and obvious.” “If it’s not clear enough, the goal must be allowed. That’s the spirit of VAR. Fans come to the stadium to witness dramatic moments and genuine emotions, not to watch lines on a screen,” Ibrahimovic frankly shared.
The former star also expressed his deep sympathy to the Croatian players, who had their hopes dashed and their chances of progressing in the World Cup extinguished in just a few short seconds by a VAR decision. He asserted that both the referee and the VAR team made mistakes in this match.
The situation at the very end of the match saw VAR intervene, and the referee disallowed Croatia’s goal (Photo: BR Football).
Ibrahimovic’s signature “straightforward and honest” statement immediately sparked outrage on social media. Public opinion is now fiercely divided into two opposing camps: one side completely agrees with Ibrahimovic’s view that technology is killing the emotion of football, while the other side defends the referees and asserts that VAR is simply enforcing the rules in a match that is crucial to survival at the biggest football event on the planet.
