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‘He should have walked!’ Fury at Ronaldo red card let-off

25 Jun, 2018 21:25
‘He should have walked!’ Fury at Ronaldo red card let-off
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© Lucy Nicholson / Reuters

Football fans have reacted furiously to Cristiano Ronaldo being spared a red card after an off the ball clash with Iran’s Morteza Pouraliganji, in which the Portugal captain appeared to strike the player.

READ MORE: Portugal 1-1 Iran: Late penalty snatches 1st place from Ronaldo in dramatic climax

Paraguayan referee Enrique Cáceres consulted VAR after a clash between the two left Pouraliganji in a heap, but eventually brandished only a yellow card, saving the Portugal skipper from an early bath.

Predictably, social media users were keen to have their say on the matter, with some saying the referee had "bottled" dismissing the player. 

Others chose to troll the current world's best player for his earlier penalty miss, that spot kick too coming as a result of a VAR consultation after the player was brought down just inside the box. 

Ronaldo stayed on the pitch as Portugal were pegged back by a late penalty as they were on the wrong end of a VAR decision in the final moments of the game due to a dubious handball decision.

READ MORE: Spain set up last 16 clash with Russia after grabbing late draw against eliminated Morocco

Karim Ansarifard netted from the spot to cancel out a Ricardo Quaresma opener, which meant that Portugal finished in second place, as Spain pulled off a dramatic 2-2 draw in Group B's other game to advance from top spot by virtue of a better goal difference. They will now play hosts Russia at Luzhniki Stadium.