Cristiano Ronaldo was given a yellow card late in Monday’s match against Iran, and many feel Portugal are fortunate that they will have their star player available in the first game of the knockout stages.
Ronaldo made contact with the head of an Iranian player well away from the ball, and there was some question about whether or not it was intentional. The play was reviewed, and the referee apparently felt the contact was incidental.
should this have been a red card for Ronaldo? #PORIRN #Ronaldo #Worldcup2018Russia pic.twitter.com/6dgsSVdkYv
— Basementpundit (@basementpundit) June 25, 2018
Many fans on social media were outraged that Ronaldo got off easy.
Ok, bad use of VAR there on Ronaldo… that’s a Red card. Star power wins again #POR
— Stu Holden (@stuholden) June 25, 2018
Ronaldo punches and elbows the player off the ball. Yellow card. Lmao if that isn't a red…
— Josip (@jperkovic93) June 25, 2018
If it’s any other player than Ronaldo it’s red card.
— Dan Madesclaire (@G2apEX) June 25, 2018
Anyone other than Ronaldo, Messi, Mother Theresa or Meryl Streep and that is a RED CARD
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) June 25, 2018
How can an elbow in the face be a yellow? It makes no sense and I’m a big Ronaldo fan…it’s either a dive or a red, there’s no inbetween with elbows in the face haha…
— Tom Mellor (@MellorFootball) June 25, 2018
Ronaldo gets a yellow after an off-the-ball incident. We've seen it before when he's swung his arm in the direction of the opposition.
VAR told the referee to check for a red card offence & this is the only decision I've seen where the ref has checked & decided not to award it.
— TalkFCB (@FCBNewsRoom) June 25, 2018
Portugal later allowed the equalizer on a penalty kick that was awarded after a hand ball in the box, but the draw was enough to get them through to the knockout stages as the second place finisher in Group B. They would have won the match, but Ronaldo was shockingly stonewalled on a penalty kick early in the second half. He’s fortunate he didn’t cost Portugal Monday’s match with the miss in addition to getting himself kicked out of the next one.
