Cristiano Ronaldo and Gianni Infantino both stand at the center of a controversy that has shaken the foundations of soccer governance. What happened this summer for Lionel Messi at the 2025 Club World Cup has now re-emerged on a much bigger stage, placing FIFA under unprecedented scrutiny.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Gianni Infantino both stand at the center of a controversy that has shaken the foundations of soccer governance. What happened this summer for Lionel Messi at the 2025 Club World Cup has now re-emerged on a much bigger stage, placing FIFA under unprecedented scrutiny. This time, however, the consequences are far heavier: FIFA’s special treatment of Ronaldo has ignited tensions so serious that multiple nations are now taking action.
The incident that sparked global outrage was simple enough. During Portugal’s qualifier in Dublin, Ronaldo, frustrated and trailing 2-0, drove his elbow into the back of defender Dara O’Shea. Initially cautioned, the challenge was upgraded to a red card after VAR review. Under FIFA’s Disciplinary Code, violent conduct demands a minimum three-match ban.
By the letter of the law, Ronaldo should have missed Portugal’s final qualifier and their first two matches at the World Cup. Instead, something entirely different happened. FIFA announced that only one match would be served, and that the remaining two games were suspended for a full year, conditional on Ronaldo not committing a similar offence.
“In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the serving of the two remaining matches has been suspended under a one-year probation period,” the governing body stated. It was the first international red card of Ronaldo’s 226-game career — and, according to critics, the reason FIFA used to justify the dramatic leniency.
The video from this angle shows that this Referee deserves a lifetime ban for giving Cristiano Ronaldo a red card for this. The Ireland footballer held onto Ronaldo’s shirt and then dived shamelessly when Ronaldo reacted. pic.twitter.com/hyI271kAhf
— Dex (@DexxterUtd) November 14, 2025
The backlash erupts
If FIFA expected the decision to pass quietly, it miscalculated on a historic scale. Leading analysts, fans, and several federations accused it of bending the rules to protect a global superstar — and, by extension, its tournament.
The Daily Mail reported that multiple nations are already exploring whether they can challenge FIFA’s decision through legal channels if drawn against Portugal. The goal: restore the original suspension and prevent Ronaldo from playing.
Those familiar with potential proceedings have described it to the Daily Mail as a possible test case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The challenge would need to establish direct competitive harm and that FIFA’s exercise of Article 27 was unfair, disproportionate, or inconsistent. Legal experts note the difficulty of overturning a decision rooted in discretionary authority — but the principle, not the probability, is what fuels the discussions.
Troubling precedent for Infantino’s FIFA
Questions about FIFA’s treatment of megastars are hardly new, but this case arrives at a delicate moment. Only months ago, Infantino was criticized for securing Inter Miami’s entry into the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup under questionable justification, widely interpreted as a move to ensure Lionel Messi’s involvement.
Now the same debate has returned — but with the stakes dramatically higher. A World Cup is not a marketing exhibition. It is the most prestigious tournament in soccer, supposedly governed by rules applied equally to every player. FIFA has, on rare occasions, reduced bans before a World Cup. But never — until now — has it suspended part of a violent-conduct suspension specifically to allow a player to appear at the tournament.
The reason so many federations are concerned is clear: If Ronaldo’s ban can be suspended, what stops other players from arguing the same? If disciplinary decisions depend on commercial value, are they still disciplinary decisions at all?
And if Portugal gains access to its most prolific scorer — the most productive goalscorer in international soccer history, with five goals in this qualifying campaign alone — do their group opponents have legitimate grounds to argue competitive disadvantage? The debate has already begun.
