FIFA have confirmed that technology has proven Cristiano Ronaldo did not score against Uruguay on Monday.
That is despite Portugal reportedly presenting evidence that he had got the final touch on Bruno Fernandes ' ball into the box after 54 minutes. Fernandes' cross eluded the Uruguayan defence and goalkeeper Sergio Rochet to open the scoring.
But on its way through, Ronaldo jumped up and appeared to attempt to head the ball in for his second goal of the tournament. The stadium announcer at the Lusail Iconic Stadium though announced Fernandes as the scorer, despite Ronaldo's energetic celebration.
Fernandes himself admitted he was not sure if Ronaldo had touched the ball, though the superstar appeared to be claiming it. He insisted he did not care who was given the final credit for scoring.
"I celebrated [the goal] as if it had been Cristiano's goal. It seemed to me that he had touched the ball. My aim was to cross the ball for him," he said.
"We are happy with the victory regardless of who scored. The most important thing is that we achieved our aim which is to be in the next round."
Fernandes may be celebrating now though after FIFA confirmed their final decision, using technology from ball manufacturers Adidas. That technology proved that Ronaldo did not get a touch on the ball, meaning Fernandes has been credited with the goal.
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"In the match between Portugal and Uruguay, using the Connected Ball Technology housed in adidas's Al Rihla Official Match Ball, we are able to definitively show no contact on the ball from Cristiano Ronaldo for the opening goal in the game," a FIFA statement read.
"No external force on the ball could be measured as shown by the lack of 'heartbeat' in our measurements. The 500Hz IMU sensor inside the ball allows us to be highly accurate in our analysis."
The match ball made by Adidas includes technology that can provide real-time data to match officials. It can also capture every touch made by the players with sensors, introduced to help with judging offsides.
That confirmation comes despite El Chiringuito TV reporting the Portuguese FA would present evidence to prove Ronaldo had scored. It was unclear what evidence that would be, though it now appears to be redundant.
Portugal confirmed their place in the knockout stages of the World Cup with their defeat of Uruguay, with Fernandes adding a second in stoppage time. Ronaldo will now have to wait until the final group game against South Korea to score his second of the tournament, if h is not rested by coach Fernando Santos.
If he is rested, then his next chance to score will be in the knockout stages. Portugal are still waiting to find out who their opponents will be, with Brazil, Switzerland, Cameroon and Serbia all still able to progress from Group G.
