Football Daily | Cristiano Ronaldo gets called back from the Naughty Step in the nick of time

Cristiano Ronaldo's Suspension Lifted Just in Time for Portugal's Group Games

FIFA's decision to lift Cristiano Ronaldo's suspension from Portugal's first two group games at the World Cup has sparked little more than an eye-roll at the perceived lack of consistency. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was initially handed a three-match ban for violent conduct during a defeat against Ireland, with the first game of which he spent on the naughty step after his side's 9-1 demolition of Armenia.

Ronaldo's presence in Portugal's squad has been deemed detrimental to their chances of winning the World Cup, but FIFA's disciplinary committee has decided to grant him a one-year probation period instead. The decision comes despite Ronaldo's previous good conduct being cited as a reason for the initial suspension.

In contrast, Armenian midfielder Tigran Barseghyan was handed a three-match ban after receiving his first red card in almost identical circumstances. Barseghyan will miss Armenia's next competitive match and two internationals, with his thoughts on Ronaldo's pardon remaining unknown.

FIFA has also confirmed that the top seeds, Spain and Argentina, will be kept apart until the final if they win their respective groups at the World Cup. This unprecedented arrangement could potentially benefit England, who would need to make it to the semis or finals to avoid being knocked out by either of the top two seeds.

Ronaldo's decision to attend a formal White House dinner hosted by Donald Trump has also raised eyebrows, with some questioning whether this influenced FIFA's decision. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner will spend his remaining ban time on probation, rather than serving the full three matches.

As football fans struggle to come to terms with the inconsistencies in FIFA's disciplinary decisions, one thing is clear: Ronaldo's presence has been a contentious issue for Portugal's squad.

man this fifa suspension stuff is so confusing I mean cristiano ronaldo gets a slap on the wrist after his side gets destroyed 9-1 and then armenia guy gets 3 matches for almost doing the same thing... seems unfair to me

and what's with all these groups being separated like this? it feels like some countries are getting special treatment

anyway, i'm just glad cristiano is back in the squad for portugal, but i'm still not sure if they can win that world cup

The recent decision by FIFA to lift Cristiano Ronaldo's suspension is indeed a puzzling move . Given the circumstances surrounding his initial ban, it seems like a case of inconsistent application of discipline ️. It's hard not to wonder if this was more about appeasing Ronaldo rather than upholding the integrity of the game . The fact that he'll be serving only a probation period instead of the full three-match ban does raise some eyebrows . On the other hand, it's interesting to note how this could potentially benefit England in their quest for World Cup glory . The drama surrounding Ronaldo's presence continues to be a contentious issue, but one thing is clear: FIFA needs to work on establishing more consistency in their disciplinary decisions .

I'm just not sure what's going on with Cristiano Ronaldo's suspension... I mean, it seems like the rules are kinda arbitrary . One minute he gets a 3-match ban for something similar to what another player got, and the next it's all forgotten . And now, he's getting off scot-free just in time for Portugal's World Cup games? It's pretty confusing...

On the other hand, I don't think this changes how many people are going to root for or against Ronaldo . He's still a superstar player with a huge following, and his presence is always gonna be a topic of discussion .

And can we talk about Spain and Argentina being kept apart until the final? That could definitely be beneficial for England... but let's see how it all plays out . The World Cup is always full of surprises!

lol idk how much more inconsistent u can get , 1 in 5 players gets a ban like that and another doesn't , Tigran Barseghyan getting a 3 match ban after almost identical behaviour is just weird , but on the flip side, Portugal's squad being held back by CR7's presence makes sense , but what's up with England potentially benefiting from Spain & Argentina not playing each other? , and btw did Ronaldo attend that White House dinner or was it just a PR stunt? stats show 70% of players who get a red card will miss the next match, but Barseghyan got off lightly . FIFA's decision to lift Ronaldo's suspension has 75% of fans feeling underwhelmed , and with 2 group games left, Portugal's chances are looking slim ️, meanwhile, Armenian national team is already feeling the effects of Barseghyan's absence

I gotta say, this decision by FIFA is super confusing. Like, you give CR7 a slap on the wrist and he gets to play in the World Cup, but some Armenian dude gets a three-match ban? What's the diff?! It seems like Ronaldo's influence is being felt more than we'd think... maybe it has something to do with him attending that White House dinner? Still, I don't wanna jump to conclusions. FIFA's got to do what they gotta do. But honestly, this whole thing is a bit of a mess.

I mean... can't say I'm surprised . On one hand, I think it's pretty ridiculous that Ronaldo got a slap on the wrist after what basically was a red card . Three matches is way too harsh for just one incident. But at the same time... I guess FIFA does have to make some sacrifices in order to keep the World Cup drama under control .

I'm not sure if Ronaldo's White House dinner thingie had anything to do with it, but wouldn't surprise me either . Either way, this whole situation is just a mess . But hey, at least Portugal gets to play without their star player for two games... I guess? .

What really bugs me though, is that some of these other players get stricter punishments than Ronaldo for basically doing the same thing . Like, what's up with Barseghyan getting three matches for something that could've gone either way? It just feels like FIFA has it in for Portugal and Ronaldo... again . Ugh, I'm so confused about this whole thing

Ugh, can't even get a straight call from FIFA . I mean, Ronaldo gets off scot-free after being involved in that crazy match against Ireland and then his team goes on to demolish Armenia? Meanwhile, Barseghyan gets banned for almost the same thing and doesn't even get a second chance? It just feels like FIFA is playing favorites. And now we have this weird rule about Spain and Argentina being kept apart at the World Cup... it's all getting pretty frustrating . I guess Ronaldo's White House dinner drama didn't hurt his case either... yeah, that was totally not a factor .

omg what a mess i mean seriously fifa needs to get its act together already! ronaldo gets off scot-free after being a total thug on the pitch and now he gets to play in two games while only serving like half of his original ban? that's just not right

and meanwhile barseghyan gets a 3-match ban for basically the same thing? come on fifa are you kidding us?! consistency is key here! i'm starting to think that ronaldo's friends in high places had something to do with his pardon... maybe he attended that white house dinner and wowed trump with his charm

I mean, what's up with this inconsistent suspension business? Cristiano Ronaldo gets hit with a three-match ban, but then suddenly it's just a slap on the wrist and he's back in the game? Meanwhile, some other player who did basically the same thing gets a proper ban. It just doesn't sit right.

And what about the whole White House dinner thing? Is that supposed to be some kind of influence? It feels like FIFA is getting caught up in all this celebrity stuff instead of focusing on the game. ️ At least now, with Ronaldo back in the mix, Portugal's chances are... well, they're not exactly looking great .

The top seeds thing is interesting, though. Could be a game-changer for England, for sure . It just goes to show how unpredictable this tournament is going to be...

I'm not surprised FIFA lifted Cristiano Ronaldo's suspension . I mean, the guy's a superstar, and his team was absolutely trouncing their opponent. It's like, you gotta hand out some leeway when someone's just trying to win a match . And now, this new rule about Spain and Argentina being kept apart? That's some crazy stuff . I think it'll definitely benefit England in the semis or finals. But seriously, what's up with all these inconsistent decisions by FIFA? Can't they just make up their minds?

I'm just so fed up with all these inconsistent rules and decisions from FIFA . I mean, Cristiano Ronaldo gets away with almost getting banned for three matches, but some other dude who got red carded in the same situation gets hit with a longer ban? It's just not right . And what about all the drama surrounding his suspension and now that it's been lifted? The guy's already made one trip to the States and now he's getting a slap on the wrist instead of being punished more severely? It's like FIFA can't make up its mind . I guess this is just part of the game, but as a fan, it's hard not to get frustrated with all the back-and-forth .

OMG , can't believe Ronaldo got off scot-free ! Three matches for Armenia and zero time for him . Probation period? More like a get out of jail free card . FIFA is so inconsistent .

I gotta say, this whole situation with CR7 is crazy . I mean, I get it, he was out of line against Ireland but three matches? That's harsh . And now he gets to go back in after only serving one match? What's up with that?! FIFA's being all over the place with these disciplinary decisions. One guy gets a slap on the wrist and another dude gets a three-match ban for the same thing... it just doesn't add up . And now they're saying he was "deemed detrimental" to Portugal's chances? Come on, that's just cherry-picking . I'm still not convinced this decision was all about Ronaldo's connections to Trump . Let's see how Portugal does without him and we can revisit this conversation .

idk how much more inconsistency u can take from fifa lol suspension lifted 4 CR7 just in time 4 portugal's group games and now everyone's all like "okay fine" . ronaldo's got a year on probation, barseghyan gets 3 matches... what's the diff . FIFA needs to get its act together or else fans are gonna lose faith in them completely . btw, did anyone notice how convenient it is for england now that spain & argentina will be separated until the finals?

Can we just have some consistency in FIFA's punishments already? I mean, it's like they took all the confusion and mixed it with a dash of controversy and served it on a plate with a side of 'what were you thinking?'

On a more serious note (just for a sec), this whole Ronaldo situation is just frustrating. He gets a slap on the wrist after getting sent off in a game that was already a 9-1 thrashing, while some other dude gets a proper ban for basically the same thing? It's like they're speaking different languages or something.

And can we talk about how this is all just going to affect Portugal's chances of winning the World Cup? I mean, I get that Ronaldo's presence was seen as a liability, but now he's back in the mix and it's anyone's game.

idk how fair it is to lift cristiano ronaldo's suspension like that . he already got slammed by ireland and then just gets to come back in time for portugal's group games? it's all a bit too convenient, if u ask me .

anyway, the whole thing with armenia midfielder tigran barseghyan being given a 3-match ban while ronaldo got off scot-free is just crazy . i mean, they both had similar incidents, but one gets to play and the other doesn't?

and have u seen the seedings for spain and argentina? that's a weird decision if u ask me . it'll definitely affect england's chances of making it to the semis or finals .

oh, and i heard cristiano ronaldo attended some white house dinner with trump ... yeah, that's gotta be a factor in fifa's decision right?

I'm low-key disappointed they lifted his suspension already . I mean, if Portugal's gonna get knocked out of the World Cup, it's not like Ronaldo was carrying them on his back or something. He's still got some major games to play and this might just make their squad look more complacent than we thought . And honestly, can't FIFA just stick to a simple three-match ban for violent conduct? Do they really need to get all fancy with probation periods .

Still can't believe they lifted CR7's suspension so early... it feels like they're just giving him a slap on the wrist after all that drama FIFA really needs to work on their consistency, especially with top players like Ronaldo involved. It's not fair to Armenia midfielder Barseghyan who got handed the same punishment as Ronaldo in similar circumstances And what about the White House dinner? Was that some kind of bribe or something? Don't think so... but it does look suspicious

OMG I'm literally shaking my head over this one! It just doesn't make sense that Cristiano Ronaldo gets off scot-free after his red card while Tigran Barseghyan gets slammed with a three-match ban for basically the same thing . I mean, are we living in some alternate universe where consistency is optional? And can we pls talk about how convenient it was for Ronaldo to attend that White House dinner and just... make this whole thing go away . It's all a bit too much for me . On the bright side, I'm loving the drama that's playing out on the World Cup stage – it's been ages since football has had some serious spice !