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.

What happened?

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.

How will the referees be decided?

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.

What's next for Croatia?

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).

DateMatchResult
2026-06-17England - Croatia4:2

Croatia's next match will be against Czechia (away, 2026-09-26), who are currently third in the table.