Croatia national team returns from World Cup after losing to Portugal 2:1 in a thrilling match. Referee Espen Eskas decided that Nikola Vlašić had committed a penalty foul on Gabriel Veiga.
Croatia's loss to Portugal 2:1 was the result of a controversial decision by referee Espen Eskas. Eskas decided that Nikola Vlašić had committed a penalty foul on Gabriel Veiga.
FIFA's head of referees Pierluigi Collina reportedly sent Eskas and his team home, apparently disappointed with their performance. This is a big blow to Croatia, who had high hopes in this tournament.
Croatia will return home and start preparing for their next matches. Croatia's last result was a loss to England 4:2 (2026-06-17). Croatia's recent form is 1W-0D-4L (LWLLL, most recent first).
| Date | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-17 | England - Croatia | 4:2 |
Croatia's next match will be against Czechia (away, 2026-09-26), who are currently third in the table.
