Cristiano Ronaldo is free to play in next summer’s World Cup after FIFA suspended red card penalties, but Portugal’s rivals could take legal action to reverse the decision.
FIFA could face legal action from players playing against Portugal at the World Cup after Cristiano Ronaldo was freed to play in next summer’s tournament despite having two games left on his suspension.
Football’s governing body has taken the unprecedented step of suspending Al Nasr’s star for the final two games of a three-game ban handed to him after he was sent off for elbowing Ireland’s Dara O’Shea in a qualifying match in Dublin earlier this month.
Under normal circumstances, Ronaldo would have had to miss the first two matches of the World Cup, but this will be the last match he will play. FIFA is understood to have taken into account his previous good behavior and the fact that this was his first international red card.
However, the 40-year-old only missed Portugal’s 9-1 World Cup qualifier against Armenia and is now free to prepare for the World Cup. The Daily Mail reports that the team, which will face Portugal in the draw next Friday in Washington DC, may consider taking the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Their motivation will be to overturn the controversial suspension and keep the original suspension, meaning they will face Portugal without Ronaldo.
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FIFA’s unusual action is likely to alarm many other countries. They may have a player who misses games due to suspension and may not be receiving treatment like Ronaldo. People with knowledge of the situation say teams directly affected by the decision could face legal action.
They will need to prove that if they are allowed to play against Ronaldo, who scored five goals in qualifying and is the most prolific player in the history of international football, their chances of making it through the group will be slimmed down.
The World Cup is being held in North America, primarily the United States, and the decision to suspend Ronaldo’s red card came days after he attended the White House as a guest of President Donald Trump.
FIFA’s disciplinary regulations state that players must serve “at least three games or an appropriate period for assault, such as elbowing, punching, kicking, biting, spitting, or punching an opponent or a person other than a match official.”
Similarly, Article 27 of the Statute states that the FIFA Judicial Commission may “suspend, in whole or in part, the implementation of disciplinary measures.”
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