FIFA denies Ronaldo’s record-equalling World Cup goal thanks to Adidas technology.
After Adidas’ match ball technology revealed there was no touch on Bruno Fernandes’ cross, FIFA confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo did not score Portugal’s first goal in Monday’s win over Uruguay.
Ronaldo appeared to have scored his ninth World Cup goal with a glancing header off Fernandes’ inswinging delivery, putting Portugal on course for a 2-0 victory.
Although FIFA later intervened to give Fernandes credit for his first World Cup goal, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner celebrated the strike wildly at the time.
Later, Fernandes secured the victory from the penalty spot as Portugal assured their place in the round of 16, and thanks to technology used by match ball manufacturers Adidas, his two goals will stand.
According to a FIFA statement given to ESPN, “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.
“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.”
After the victory, Fernandes said it wasn’t important who scored Portugal’s opening goal, but he did describe his initial impression that Ronaldo had touched the ball.
With Ronaldo scoring three goals for his nation, Fernandes has more than double the amount of goals as any other Portugal teammate in 2022 thanks to FIFA’s decision.
The former Manchester United teammate of Fernandes is still one goal short of tying Eusebio’s record of nine goals for Portugal in World Cup finals, all of which came in 1966.
