‘We were lucky’: Roberto Martinez defends VAR assessment; Croatia coach complains about ‘bad referees’

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez Portugal coach Roberto Martinez defended the video assistant referee (VAR) decision that shaped his side’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32, while Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic criticized the officiating but refused to blame solely for his side’s exit.Portugal booked their place in the round of 16 after coming from behind to beat Croatia in Toronto, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring from the penalty spot before substitute Goncalo Ramos headed home the winner in stoppage time. The match was overshadowed by a series of VAR interventions, including the disallowance of two Croatian goals for offside.After the match, Martinez rejected suggestions that Croatia had been unfairly denied a dramatic late equalizer.“There were no bad decisions. We were lucky today,” Martinez said when asked if VAR had robbed Croatia of the second goal.“The chip ball showed that it was offside, the penalty was also clear. I understand the work of (Croatia coach Zlatko) Dalič in this team and it’s a shame that there was only one winner today,” he added.The Portugal coach also previewed his team’s round of 16 match against Spain, predicting a very high-quality encounter.“We respect the quality of Spain. I think it will be a fantastic game, it will be the European game of this World Cup,” Martinez said.Considering the dramatic nature of the competition, he added: “I’ve lost my hair over it, but I think it’s worth it.”Dalic, meanwhile, expressed his frustration with the officiating and believed Croatia were denied important decisions during the match.“It was a very bad referee,” Dalic said, adding that Croatia “should have had more free kicks.”However, the Croatian manager stopped short of using the referee as an excuse for sending off his team.“But Croatia lost. I will not look for any excuses,” he said. “We could have won it earlier.Croatia took the lead through Ivan Perišić, who became the World Cup’s all-time top scorer, before Ronaldo’s penalty brought Portugal level. Ramos’ late winner eventually sealed Portugal’s progress and potentially spelled the end of Luka Modric’s World Cup career.