FIFA’s match ball technology has confirmed that Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo did not score the header that he claimed to have scored during the team’s 2-0 victory over Uruguay on Monday night, both FIFA and Adidas have confirmed.
“In the match between Portugal and Uruguay, using the Connected Ball Technology housed in Adidas’ 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,” a statement from FIFA on behalf of ball manufacturer Adidas read.
The 54th-minute goal came about when Bruno Fernandes crossed the ball into the box. While Ronaldo claimed to have touched it before it went into the Uruguayan net, neither Fernandes nor Portugal coach Fernando Santos could confirm that Ronaldo made contact with the ball.
FIFA remains adamant that its technology has made the correct call, claiming that the 500Hz IMU sensor contained within the ball enables a highly accurate analysis.
The technology within the World Cup’s official match balls provides real-time data to match officials, namely every touch that players make with the ball. This assists the officials to make more accurate refereeing decisions while also improving the speed and quality of VAR decisions.
