World Cup 2022: Cristiano Ronaldo comes close but misses out on landmark goal

It was the infinitesimal Cristiano Ronaldo thought helium had joined Eusebio arsenic Portugal's World Cup grounds goalscorer - well, for a mates of minutes anyway.

Not lone was it a extremity that sent Portugal connected their mode to qualification for the knockout stages with a crippled to spare, it was besides going to beryllium his ninth World Cup onslaught - bringing him level with the large Eusebio.

But past came the uncertainty. While Ronaldo was intelligibly convinced it was his goal, the replays were not truthful conclusive.

• Fernandes treble sends Portugal into past 16

Initially named arsenic the goalscorer, it wasn't agelong earlier the extremity was taken distant from him and fixed to erstwhile Manchester United team-mate Fernandes.

Cameras panned connected the 37-year-old arsenic Fernandes was named arsenic the goalscorer connected the nationalist code strategy and his bemused grin summed up astir people's confusion. Who did people that goal? A question we mightiness ne'er truly cognize the reply to.

Fernandes went connected to people a 2nd from the punishment spot arsenic Portugal comfortably booked their spot successful the past 16.

"I don't judge it matters who touched the ball," said Fernandes aft the game. "At the time, I thought Cristiano touched the shot and I was passing to him but each that is important is that we got through."

Before Qatar 2022 started, Ronaldo had stated his tendency to bushed Eusebio's World Cup record, and started with a extremity successful Portugal's opener against Ghana - a 3-2 triumph - to go the archetypal subordinate to people successful 5 World Cups.

And, portion Ronaldo seemed contented capable for Fernandes to person the plaudits astatine the last whistle, the statement raged connected elsewhere.

Former West Ham defender Matthew Upson told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I deliberation it's Bruno Fernandes' goal. The lone grounds I've got is the replay that I tin spot successful beforehand of maine and the shot doesn't alteration direction. You usually spot the shot alteration its rotation oregon absorption somewhat if determination is simply a glancing header.

"It won't spell down arsenic Ronaldo's extremity connected the scoresheet and that is what helium is bothered astir due to the fact that helium thrives disconnected those records. But it is his extremity successful the consciousness that his beingness and his tally caused it."

While 5 Live commentator Ian Dennis added: "Good luck to the Fifa authoritative who has to spell into the changing country to archer Cristiano Ronaldo helium hasn't scored that. Bruno Fernandes has been credited with it."

Talk astir a adjacent telephone though...

Journalist Piers Morgan, possibly unsurprisingly, was successful nary uncertainty astir who helium thought the goalscorer was...

A tweet that brought the expected effect from societal arsenic it became evident Ronaldo would not beryllium equalling the grounds connected Monday.

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