According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ibrahimovic, a senior advisor to RedBird and a commentator for Fox Sports, lambasted the referee's decision to disallow Gvardiol's goal and claimed that Ronaldo had "kidnapped the team's ego."

Ibrahimovic was highly dissatisfied with Croatia's disallowed goal in the final moments of their match against Portugal. This was not about fan allegiances: the Milan advisor, serving as a Fox Sports commentator, fan, and football enthusiast, bluntly criticized the referee's decision after the VAR review.

"It was a great match," he fumed, "but it was ruined by VAR in the end. I saw nothing wrong with the 2-2 goal: VAR disallowed it, but in my opinion, it was a misjudgment. Either the ball's internal sensor was not working properly or something went wrong, because Renato Veiga touched the ball, which means it was not offside."

"Look at this angle: Croatia's number 20 did not even touch the ball; it did not change its trajectory at all. Portugal's number 13 touched the ball! How can that be offside? The opponent touched the ball, and then the Croatian defender was suddenly offside? That is ridiculous! Those Croatians, who fought with all their might, were robbed of a dream moment in the FIFA World Cup."

"To disallow a goal in the 90th minute, the decision must be beyond dispute, and this clearly was not. That was not enforcement at all; it was outright robbery. In my opinion, it is clear they wanted Portugal and Ronaldo to advance to the round of 16 to play against Spain."

Criticism also directed at Ronaldo

Ibrahimovic was equally blunt about Ronaldo: "Portuguese fans could have anticipated everything that is happening now... By 2026, you cannot expect a 41-year-old Ronaldo to lead the team to win anything. After all, Gonçalo Ramos was on the bench, and he scored as soon as he came on as a substitute. This is not 'legendary leadership'; it is hijacking the team's ego. Ronaldo has lost his ability to touch the ball and move, and now he just stands in the penalty area... What sustains him now is his fame more than his legs. Continuing to start him is purely an act of madness."

Leão and the Match

Ibrahimovic also discussed the match itself: "Portugal ultimately advanced to the round of 16; that's football... Sometimes the rules work in your favor, and sometimes they work against you. This time, it's truly unfortunate for Croatia. Modrić and Kovačić can leave with their heads held high: they gave their all, but the result wasn't what they had hoped for."

"Overall, Portugal were indeed the stronger side and played very well, but Croatia also set out with the aim of scoring. I was not satisfied with the performances of Pedro Neto and Bruno Fernandes; they did not meet expectations. Rafael Leão, however, was outstanding and caused numerous problems for the Croatian defense. Roberto Martínez decided the match with clever substitutions, bringing on Semedo, Conceição, Bernardo Silva, and Gonçalo Ramos. Leão provided a beautiful assist, helping Ramos score Portugal's go-ahead goal."

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