Norwegian referee under fire after World Cup match Norway's Espen Eskås is in the spotlight after the Croatia vs Portugal World Cup match, where he faced strong criticism for his refereeing decisions. Croatia was eliminated from the tournament after a controversial offside call in extra time, sparking outrage from the Croatian team. ## What happened in the match? In a tense game, Portugal led 2-1 when Croatia thought they had equalized in extra time. After a VAR review, Eskås disallowed the goal due to offside against Igor Matanović. Croatia's manager Zlatko Dalić called the refereeing 'weak' and 'poor'. ## Why is this controversial? Croatia feels robbed, especially as they believe the referee failed to award them free kicks or set pieces they deserved. However, FIFA has backed Eskås' decision, citing data from 'Connected Ball Technology'. ## What's next? Eskås' performance will be closely scrutinized, while Croatia must look ahead. Norway's national team, meanwhile, has had a tough run with two consecutive losses, including a 1-2 defeat to England on July 11, 2026. Their next match is at home against Denmark on September 24, 2026.