Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup Lifeline Sparks Major Legal Battle Threat

FIFA, the international football governing organization, may potentially encounter legal challenges from countries scheduled to face Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal team at the World Cup following an extraordinary decision regarding the veteran striker.

Ronaldo was facing the prospect of missing Portugal's opening two group matches at this summer's competition after delivering an elbow strike to Dara O'Shea. Such violent behavior typically results in an automatic three-match suspension across all competitive matches, and the Portuguese captain consequently missed his country's final qualifying match against Armenia (which ended in a commanding 9–1 victory).

Nevertheless, FIFA determined that Ronaldo would be cleared to participate from the World Cup's opening, with the remaining two-thirds of his three-match suspension placed on hold under a one-year probationary period. The 40-year-old striker will only face further punishment if he "commits another violation of similar nature and severity during the probationary timeframe."

Reports now suggest that FIFA might encounter appeals from countries paired against Portugal, arguing that Ronaldo should remain ineligible, according to the Daily Mail. These potential challengers—who will be identified during the World Cup group stage draw on Dec. 5—may have the opportunity to escalate the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

CAS functions as an independent mediator and would theoretically establish a panel to examine the matter with authority to overturn FIFA's ruling.

Does FIFA Have Authority to Overturn Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup Suspension?

The particular practice of placing part of a player's suspension on hold has never been implemented by FIFA previously, according to BBC Sport. However, other players have had potential bans completely overturned.

France's Laurent Koscielny served only one match after striking Ukraine's Oleksandr Kucher during a 2014 World Cup playoff, while Croatian forward Mario Mandžukić was permitted to return for the second group match in 2018—a contest against Cameroon where he netted twice.

Nevertheless, as the report highlights, Article 27 of FIFA's disciplinary regulations essentially grants them authority to "completely or partially suspend" a disciplinary action for "a probationary duration of one to four years."

The Daily Mail references "sources familiar with the circumstances" who suggest that any nation dissatisfied with facing Ronaldo would need to demonstrate they are "directly impacted by the ruling and possess a legitimate legal interest requiring protection."

Exactly how anyone will successfully present such an argument remains uncertain.

READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, PREVIEWS & ANALYSIS HERE