Bruno Fernandes says he thinks Cristiano Ronaldo touched the ball for his first goal against Uruguay, with the striker claiming the same to a friend.
Portugal qualified for the last 16 of the Qatar World Cup with a 2-0 win at the Lusail Stadium, and the scoresheet showed Manchester United’s Fernandes bagged a brace.
His second of the night was undisputed as it came from the penalty spot, but his first caused plenty of debate.
The midfielder saw his ball from the left hand side pass the head of former United teammate Ronaldo before nestling in the far corner, and the official scorers judged that it did not touch the No.7.
He was convinced, though, and ran off in celebration, and it turned out that Fernandes was in agreement.
Speaking post-match, he said: “I celebrated as if it had been Cristiano’s goal.
“It seemed to me that he had touched the ball, my objective was to make a cross for him.
“Regardless, we are happy for the victory, if one of us scores or the other does.
We know that Cristiano is a striker who looks for goals and is more significant for the strikers, as well as for Goncalo [Ramos], Andre [Silva], Rafael [Leao] and Joao [Felix], but the most important thing is the objective achieved, which is to be in the next phase.
“It’s our group, our union, and we have dedication on the field. The mutual help we have between us is what makes us have results like this.”
After seeming to claim the goal with his celebrations, Ronaldo was subbed in the 82nd minute, and was later seen continuing his belief.
In a video clip captured by Sport TV in Portugal, the free agent was reportedly talking to a friend on the sidelines, pointing at his head as if to say the ball touched him.
Whether it did or not, we may never know.
