FIFA Defends Cristiano Ronaldo Decision Against Ghana

The Cristiano Ronaldo penalty decision against Ghana judging from recent comments has created a lot of controversies and divided opinions regarding whether the call was a soft one that could have been overlooked or not, and rightly so, football ruling body, FIFA has come into the picture to disarm the naysayers.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s “genius” in winning the penalty for Portugal in their 3-2 victory against Ghana at the 2022 World Cup judging from the football federation’s stance was praised by FIFA’s top World Cup assessors.

On Thursday, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first male footballer to score in five World Cups.

The 37-year-old scored a contentious penalty after the referee determined that Mohammed Salisu of Ghana had fouled him.

After the game, Ghana’s coach, Otto Addo, said it was a “special present” for Portugal.

The Technical Study Group (TSG) of FIFA stated during a media conference held in Doha that a record amount of penalties will be awarded during this year’s World Cup.

“Maybe the strikers are getting smarter?

“If you look at the penalty that Ronaldo got, people can say what they want about this man, but the smartness and the ingenious thought to just be patient and wait for that split second to touch the ball first before you, and continue my leg so that your contact will hit my leg, that is total genius,” former Colombia goalkeeper and TSG panel member, Faryd Mondragon, said.

In the first 16 games, nine penalties have been assessed in total.

In the 64-game tournament, the World Cup is on pace to set a record with 36 victories.