Yesterday, Croatia heartbreakingly lost to Portugal in the Round of 16 of the World Cup. The final score? 2:1 for Portugal. How it happened: Perišić in the 53rd — hope. Ronaldo penalty in the 68th — uh oh. Then Ramos in the 94th minute — dagger to the heart. And in between: four disallowed goals, VAR drama, crossbars, posts, and Joško Gvardiol having his equalizer disallowed in the 97th minute for offside. If you cried, you weren’t alone.
But besides a ruined night (the World Cup is in the US, so kickoff was at 1:00 AM Croatian time, ending around 3:30 AM) — does the national team’s elimination actually affect your wallet? Surprisingly — yes. And in more ways than you think.
Emotional Spending — When Sadness Drains Your Weekly Budget
A national team loss triggers mild sadness in many people. Especially when you watch your team dominate the second half, score in the 97th minute — and then VAR disallows it. At 3:30 AM. When you have to wake up at 6:00 AM. In that moment, you want to eat an entire pizza. And you do.
Research shows we’re more prone to impulse buying when in a bad mood — “retail therapy”. After a loss, you reach faster for coffee, cake, beer, delivery food, or that t-shirt you’ve been eyeing for a month.
Example: After a loss, the average fan spends 30-50% more on “comfort” purchases that day. After Ramos scored in the 94th at 3 AM — that’s a €25 food delivery right there. And another coffee for comfort because you didn’t sleep. Three or four big matches a year = €200-300 on emotions.
Betting — The Most Expensive Way to Right a Football Wrong
Statistics show betting deposits increase 40-60% on match days of the Croatian national team. And after a loss like this — where Croatia played well, hit the crossbar, had a goal disallowed — people are convinced they were “so close” and try to win it back. This is called “chasing losses” — a classic gambling red flag.
If you absolutely must bet — here are some lessons from yesterday’s game:
✅ Don’t bet that Ronaldo will miss a penalty — the man calmly slotted it home in the 68th. He’s Ronaldo. He scores penalties like normal people drink water. Betting against that is the financial equivalent of trying to get a foul called on Gašper Markotić.
✅ Don’t bet the second half will be drama-free — 3 goals, 4 disallowed, 1 penalty, crossbar, post. VAR had more work than your friend at his kid’s birthday party.
✅ Don’t bet “sure things” like “Portugal won’t score in the last 10 minutes” — Gonçalo Ramos scored in the 94th. While you were saying “it’s going to extra time,” he was already celebrating. And you’d already lost your money.
Reminder: Bookmakers are designed to profit long-term. Winning one bet doesn’t cancel the previous loss — it just opens the door for a bigger one. Kind of like how Gvardiol’s disallowed goal didn’t cancel Ramos’s.
Work Productivity — Sleepless Mornings Cost Money
The match kicked off at 1:00 AM Croatian time and ended around 3:30 AM. If you watched to the end (and who didn’t?), you woke up today with 3-4 hours of sleep. After an emotional rollercoaster: leading, conceding a penalty, conceding in the 94th, having a goal disallowed in the 97th…
Employers across Croatia know: the day after an elimination like this, productivity drops by 15-25%. People are sleep-deprived, distracted (articles, comments, analysis, arguments), and demotivated. If you earn €10/hour and lose 2 hours doomscrolling match replays and comments — that’s €20 that aren’t yours. And who’s even showing up at 6 AM after going to bed at 4? Freelancers and entrepreneurs take an even bigger hit — that’s your own money down the drain. And you didn’t sleep. Double whammy.
Wins — Euphoria Also Has a Price Tag
Losses aren’t the only problem. Wins have an effect too. Remember 2018 and 2022? After victories, people went out en masse, spending on drinks, food, transport, jerseys, and souvenirs. That’s “celebratory spending” — perfectly normal. But 20 beers on credit isn’t patriotism — it’s a financial own goal.
Fun fact: A University of Zagreb Faculty of Economics study found hospitality spending goes up 30% on big win days — but also 15% on loss days, as people go for a “consolation drink.” Restaurant owners are the only ones who always win. 😉
Stocks, Crypto and Markets — Yes, It Affects Those Too
It sounds crazy, but major sporting events affect stock markets. A 2018 Journal of Finance study showed a national team’s loss in an important match causes a 0.2-0.5% drop in stock returns the next day in that country. Reason? Investor mood — negative sentiment leads to more cautious (and worse) decisions.
In other words: your stocks drop at roughly the same speed as hope after VAR disallows a stoppage-time equalizer. Except stocks — unlike Gvardiol’s goal — can recover tomorrow.
Of course, this is short-term and doesn’t change your long-term strategy. But if you’re an active trader — know that the day after Ramos stabs you in the 94th minute (at 3:30 AM, let’s not forget) might not be your best day for buying crypto.
What To Do Instead? 🦊
Five tips you can apply today — even if your heart still hurts from yesterday (and your eyes burn from 3 hours of sleep):
- Turn off betting notifications for 24h — give yourself a clear head. Tomorrow is another day, another match (Portugal vs Spain, if you must know). You don’t have to bet on it.
- Take a screen break — go outside, walk, don’t read comments for 3 hours. That VAR decision won’t change no matter how many times you rewatch it.
- Set a “24-hour rule” — if you want to buy something after a loss, wait 24 hours. If you still need it, buy it. If not — you just saved money.
- Plan the next big match — set a budget for food, drinks, and any betting (if you must) in advance. When it’s gone, stop. And remember: betting Ronaldo will score a penalty is smarter than betting he won’t.
- Turn emotion into savings — every time you feel the urge to spend after a match, put €5 into a savings account. By the next World Cup, you’ll be surprised how much you’ve saved.
Bottom line: The Croatian national team connects us emotionally, and that’s beautiful. Perišić, Gvardiol, Kovačić — they all gave their hearts. Sometimes football just isn’t fair (looking at you, VAR). And yes, it hurts when you lose at 3:30 AM and have to be at work at 6. But your finances shouldn’t depend on a match result.
Football lasts 90 minutes (+10 minutes of stoppage time, and yes, they used all of them). Your financial future lasts a lifetime. Head in the game, heart on the pitch, but wallet in check. 💪