Portugal secured their spot in the World Cup 2026 last 16, setting up a match against Spain, following a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia. The match was marked by significant VAR controversy, particularly concerning a disallowed late equaliser for Croatia.
The decision to disallow Croatia‘s goal in the final moments of the match sparked considerable debate. Josko Gvardiol thought he had scored an equaliser in the 103rd minute, but the goal was overturned due to an offside call. This ruling was based on technology within the Adidas Trionda ball, which detected a slight touch from Igor Matanovic, making Mario Pasalic offside in the build-up.
Fifa confirmed that the technology inside the ball, similar to ‘Snicko’, indicated Matanovic‘s touch. This meant that the subsequent position of Pasalic rendered him offside, leading to the goal being disallowed. Croatia‘s manager, Zlatko Dalic, expressed concerns about the extent to which VAR is being used in the game.
The match saw a total of four goals disallowed, a first in the tournament’s history for a single game. Croatia had three efforts chalked off, and Cristiano Ronaldo also had a goal overturned earlier in the game. These incidents contributed to the high drama and discussion surrounding the use of VAR.
Tribute and advancing teams
Prior to their victory, Portugal paid an emotional tribute to former player Diogo Jota, who passed away a year ago on 3 July 2025. During the national anthem, Jota‘s picture was displayed on the big screen in Toronto, receiving a warm reception from supporters. Cristiano Ronaldo, who played with Jota 32 times for their country, appeared visibly moved.
After the 2-1 win, Ronaldo donned a special ’21’ shirt in Jota‘s memory, and the squad gathered to hold the shirt aloft. Portugal manager Roberto Martinez had previously named Jota as an honorary ‘plus-one’ player when announcing his squad, stating, “We want to win the World Cup for him.” Jota, who was 28, died in a car accident while returning to Liverpool for pre-season.
Meanwhile, Spain also progressed to the last 16 by defeating Austria 3-0 in Los Angeles. This marked Spain‘s first knockout stage victory at the men’s World Cup in 16 years. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice, and Pedro Porro added another goal to secure the comfortable win. Spain‘s coach, Luis de la Fuente, described the performance as “almost perfect.”
Spain‘s dominance was evident, with Oyarzabal opening the scoring from Marc Cucurella‘s cross. Porro then headed home Alex Baena‘s cross to double the lead. Cucurella and Oyarzabal combined again for the third goal. Earlier in the match, Spain had a goal disallowed when Cucurella‘s shot was ruled out for a foul on Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager by Pau Cubarsi.
Other tournament developments
Switzerland also advanced to the last 16 and will face the winner of the match between Colombia and Ghana. The tournament continues to showcase emerging talent, with Johan Manzambi of Freiburg being highlighted as a potential star for Switzerland after his performance against Algeria.
In other news, Cape Verde reached the knockout stages after a 0-0 draw, and they are now set to play Argentina in Miami. Mohamed Salah is fit to play for Egypt against Australia, with Australia coach Tony Popovic stating his team is prepared for both scenarios regarding Salah‘s participation. Julian Nagelsmann is reportedly set to resign as Germany coach following discussions with German football officials.
The World Cup has also seen significant viewership, with an English-language broadcast in the US attracting an average of 24.429 million viewers, peaking at 31.883 million. The Spanish-language broadcast reported 9.1 million viewers. The tournament continues to generate excitement and high-stakes matches as teams vie for a spot in the next round.
Massimiliano Allegri has been appointed as the new coach for Napoli, signing a three-year contract, while Antonio Conte is expected to return to the Italy national team role. Georgia Stanway has returned to the WSL, joining Arsenal after four years with Bayern Munich. Real Madrid has refuted reports of interest in signing Enzo Fernández from Chelsea FC, stating they have no intention of pursuing such a move.
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Source: bbc.com
