Ronaldo ruled out for World Cup playoff

Published by William | Filed under Fifa World Cup South Africa 2010, Football (aka soccer)

11/14 20:30 Portugal vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina – Odds | Statistics


UEFA World Cup Qualification Playoffs – Odds | Fixtures | Standings


Despite being included in Portugal’s 23-man roster for their November 14th and 18th playoff ties with Bosnia & Herzegovina, star winger Cristiano Ronaldo has been officially deemed unfit to play says Portuguese FA officials. Ronaldo has been recovering from an ankle injury suffered in Real Madrid’s Champions League match with Marseille on September 30th and has not seen the pitch for Los Galacticos in the team’s last 7 matches. Ronaldo did, however, play in Portugal’s October 10th World Qualifier against Hungary, in which he further aggravated the injury and resulted in his prolonged absence.


Yesterday, despite being persistently told by Real officials that he is to remain in Madrid during his recovery stages, Ronaldo flew to Lisbon to undergo fitness tests with Portugal’s medical staff. Rules state that when it comes to a decision on whether or not a player will feature in an international match and matters such as injuries are at stake, the club is to have the final word.


This is an extremely difficult and fickle matter that players, coaches (both club and international), and officials must deal with constantly, especially when the World Cup lies in the horizon. For players, representing their country in perhaps the most prestigious international sporting event in the world would mark the pinnacle of their careers and to let something such as an injury stand in their way must be sheer torture. Athletes’ opportunities are limited in their short-lived careers and they cannot not let one like this pass them by. However, coaches and officials are the ones that must make these difficult decisions and must consider so many things at stake. First and foremost for them, they must make the most informed and sensible decision to protect their investment (in this case, the most expensive footballer in the world). However, this “investment” is also human being, and just like managers must keep their employees happy, Real must also keep theirs. Kudos to them for, despite knowing the severity of CR9’s injury, letting him fly to Portugal and let their team doctors perform their own tests. If there was a chance, at least Portugal’s coaches, players, and fans alike know that if he could, he would play and Real does not want their interest to stand in the way.


Now that we can put the wondering game to rest, the focus of Saturday’s first leg fixture now moves to how Portugal will fair without their star. Can they do it without him? Real, who was thought to have had the most loaded lineup that any team in Europe has seen in recent years, has struggled deeply in Ronaldo’s absence. One can only assume that Portugal may have some trouble of their own. It would be an absolute tragedy to know that the World’s best player may not get to feature on football’s biggest stage.


Stay tuned this week for more thoughts and analysis on this matter, as well as match previews and predictions for the UEFA World Cup Qualification Playoffs.