CRISTIANO Ronaldo did NOT score Portugal’s opener against Uruguay – and Fifa have published the unanswerable proof.
The ex-Manchester United claimed he had made the slightest contact with Bruno Fernandes’ cross as it sailed into the Uruguay net.
Even Bruno suggested afterwards he believed it was Ronaldo’s goal, despite Fifa changing the “original” scorer, while the Portuguese superstar told Piers Morgan directly it was his.
Fernandes said:“I don’t think it really matters who scored.
“My feeling at the time was that Cristiano touched the ball. I was crossing to him. I celebrated as if it had been Cristiano’s goal.”
The Sun’s Piers Morgan, whose interview with Ronaldo saw the player led to his United exit, also revealed the forward privately claimed the goal too.
Morgan tweeted: “Ronaldo confirmed to me that his head touched the ball. Even Bruno agrees.”
That would have taken Ronaldo one above arch-rival Lionel Messi on nine World Cup goals, claiming a joint share of the Portuguese record with Eusebio.
But Fifa have now published the images and snicko-style technology to prove that the ball did not flick Ronaldo on its way into the net.
The Semi Automated Offside Technology in use in Qatar includes a chip in the centre of the ball that can determine any contact by any player.
And while the contact made by Bruno is shown by a spike, there is a flat line at all stages as the ball approaches and then passes Ronaldo’s head.
A spokesman for ball manufacturers adidas said: “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 and in the attached graphic.
“The 500Hz IMU sensor inside the ball allows us to be highly accurate in our analysis.”
The definitive statement answers and refutes all of Ronaldo’s claims and means Messi has the chance to nudge in front of him when he takes on Poland in Argentina’s final group game on Wednesday.
