Former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley has criticised FIFA after the governing body cleared Cristiano Ronaldo to feature in Portugal’s opening match at the 2026 World Cup.
Ronaldo had received a straight red card during Portugal’s 2-0 loss to Ireland for elbowing Dara O’Shea, an offence that initially carried a three-match suspension for violent conduct. He missed Portugal’s final qualifier against Armenia, but FIFA later reduced the ban to just one game, making him eligible for the World Cup opener.
Burley expressed outrage, accusing FIFA of bending its rules to protect one of football’s biggest stars.
Speaking on ESPN FC, he said:
“If Gianni Infantino had any shame… because let’s be honest, he’d sell his soul for money, he’s shown that with the Club World Cup and the extended World Cup.
“They have made a mockery of their own disciplinary process, a complete shame. What this says to referees and other professionals is, ‘Maybe you should not send off the big stars, keep it to the guys under the radar because we want these big stars at a major tournament.’”
Burley questioned why Ronaldo’s punishment was treated differently, noting:
“When have you ever seen any player get probation after being sent off for violent conduct? It is a three-game ban, and that is it. You can’t give someone a three-game ban and then allow them to skip two matches.”
He argued that any other player would have been forced to serve the full suspension, potentially missing the early stages of the World Cup.
“If that had been any other player, they would have had a three-game suspension and would have missed the World Cup or at least the first couple of matches,” Burley said.
He concluded that FIFA’s handling of Ronaldo’s case demonstrated clear favoritism:
“But for Cristiano Ronaldo, there are different rules, and if FIFA tries to tell you otherwise, they are talking absolute nonsense.”
