Luka Modric blasts VAR over Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty, disputes offside verdict in bombshell claim

Speaking after the match, Luka Modric claimed that Croatia deserved better, especially after their second-half performance.

Luka Modric slammed VAR after Croatia crashed out of the ongoing FIFA World Cup in a dramatic manner, losing to Portugal 1-2 in their Round of 32 showdown. Modric felt his side was unfairly treated by the match officials, as Portugal was awarded a controversial penalty that Cristiano Ronaldo converted. Modric also pointed out Croatia's disallowed equaliser.

Luka Modric slammed VAR and the referee. (AFP)

Speaking after the match, Modric claimed that Croatia deserved better, especially after their second-half performance. With Croatia leading 1-0, Portugal was awarded a penalty after Renato Veiga was pulled down inside the box by Nikola Vlasic, which was flagged by VAR.

This led to a check by match referee Espen Eskas, who went to view replays on the touchline monitor, then pointed to the spot, which Ronaldo converted with ease to draw the scores. Then Goncalo Ramos scored the winner in the fourth minute of the second half, added time.

Croatia thought they got the equaliser, but then came the replays. The replays showed Pasalic was in an offside position when the ball deflected off his teammate's head. Portugal defender Renato Veiga also had a slight touch on the ball, as it deflected off his head and onto Pasalic's path. After a VAR check, the referee deemed it offside, as the ball sensor indicated that Mantanovic made contact.

‘If it were the other way around, VAR would never have been included’

Speaking after the match, Modric said, "Yes, we deserved a lot more. Some things didn't go our way."

"That penalty... If it were the other way around, VAR would never have been included. I said about VAR at the beginning, when it was first introduced, that I didn't like it.

"This is not a penalty. Both players are replaying, pushing, [Nikola] Vlasic did not pull it, he held it and both fell. That is why you cannot judge such a penalty in a match like this. That is why I say, it must be used if the mistake is 200 percent. If you can treat something this way and that, you have no say in it. That annoys me and always works to our detriment."

Slamming the referee's offside decision in the dying seconds, Modric said, "He says that Matanovic touched the ball, but we watched the footage, you can't see him touching the ball anywhere. If he doesn't touch the ball, it's not offside."