Bruno Fernandes says he thinks Cristiano Ronaldo touched the ball for his first goal against Uruguay, with the forward claiming the same to a friend.
Portugal qualified for the Qatar World Cup Round of 16 with a 2-0 win at 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 sparked much debate.
The midfielder saw his ball from the left side head past former United team-mate Ronaldo before nestling in the far corner, and the official scorers ruled it did not hit the no. 7.
He was convinced, however, and ran off to celebrate, and it turned out that Fernandes agreed.
Speaking after the match, he said: “I celebrated like it was Cristiano’s goal.
“It looked like he touched the ball, my aim was to cross him.
“It doesn’t matter, we are happy with the victory, if one of us scores or the other.
“We know that Cristiano is a striker who looks for goals and is more meaningful for the attackers, as well as for Goncalo [Ramos]Andrew [Silva]Raphael [Leao] and Joao [Felix]but the most important thing is the goal achieved, which is to be in the next phase.
“It’s our group, our union, and we are dedicated on the ground. The mutual support we have between us is what makes us have results like this.
After appearing to claim the goal with his celebrations, Ronaldo was substituted in the 82nd minute and was then seen continuing his conviction.
In a video clip captured by Sport TV in Portugal, the free agent is said to have spoken to a friend on the sidelines, pointing his head as if to say the ball had hit him.
Whether it is or not, we may never know.
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