Matanovic on the Controversial Late Incident in Portugal-Croatia: "I Felt a Slight Touch on My Hair"

The Portugal-Croatia match featured a penalty call and three disallowed goals, one of which came in the 90+13th minute, which would have secured a draw for Zlatko Dalic's side in their bid for a World Cup last-16 spot.

Igor Matanovic, a key figure in that controversial moment, spoke about it after the game: "Honestly, I think I felt a slight touch on my hair. I asked the referee, I wasn't 100 percent sure if I had touched it. He told me they have a chip in the ball, that there was a small contact, and therefore it was offside."

"It's hard to find the right words after the game. We played very well in the second half and deserved more. I haven't seen the penalty yet, but if they call that... Three goals, offside, a post... I have no words, we were very unlucky today," the forward lamented.

The player added: "When I came on, I had a good feeling on the pitch. We played a very good game, but this will hurt. We have to move forward, keep attacking, and think about the Euros."

Technology confirmed that Matanovic did indeed touch the ball before it struck Portuguese player Renato Veiga's head and fell to a contested deflection between Gvardiol and Rúben Neves, which ended up in the back of the Portuguese net but was subsequently disallowed. According to the rules, an offside is nullified if a defending player deliberately plays the ball (controlling, passing, or consciously attempting to intercept). However, if the defender's touch is accidental, such as a rebound or an unintentional deflection, the offside position stands and is penalized.