Cristiano Ronaldo was beaming after glancing a header into the back of the net against Uruguay for Portugal on Monday night. Ronaldo thought he'd scored his second goal of the World Cup and he celebrated in unison with Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes appeared to provide Ronaldo with an assist, but the replays of the goal showed the midfielder was actually the goalscorer. Although Ronaldo was initially credited with the goal, FIFA awarded the opener to Fernandes and that's what will be remembered on official records, much to the dismay of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
That was Fernandes' first World Cup goal and he added another in the final minutes of the match when Portugal were given a dubious penalty. Ronaldo was substituted off before Uruguay conceded that penalty and he would have stepped up if he was still on the pitch. He would have gone to sleep thinking he'd been robbed of two goals at the World Cup.
ALSO READ: United have spent £8million on a player who may never play for the first team
Ronaldo said that 'he does not chase records, the records chase him' in his interview with Piers Morgan this month, but it's currently Lionel Messi that is chasing him, not records, which is something he'll be aware of, given this will be his last World Cup.
Messi and Ronaldo both have eight World Cup goals to their names and Ronaldo wants to end his career with more, which would have made Fernandes' brace on Monday night feel like a wasted opportunity and an injustice to the centre-forward.
"The feeling I had was that Cristiano touched the ball. I was passing the ball to him," Fernandes diplomatically told reporters after the game. "What matters is that we're going through to the next round after playing a very tough opponent."
The replays suggest if Ronaldo did get a touch, it was his hair greasing the ball, but his close friend, Edu Aguirre, had suggested that the Portuguese Federation would present evidence to FIFA to prove that Portugal's goal was actually his.
If true, it tells you everything about Ronaldo and his self-serving motivations. It's obvious that Ronaldo prioritises himself, not the team around him, and looking to take a goal away from Fernandes, who he's spent so much time with, makes it worse.
Thankfully, FIFA and adidas have since settled the issue, confirming Fernandes as the scorer.
Fernandes has played with Ronaldo for Portugal since his international debut and he said last week it was a 'dream come true' to play with him at Old Trafford, but the 28-year-old could actually be privately relieved he's left the club.
He's always maintained that playing with Ronaldo has not been detrimental to his performances and yet the evidence suggests otherwise. Fernandes' contribution in the final third suffered after Ronaldo re-signed and the numbers are revealing.
Fernandes contributed 43 goals and 25 assists in 83 games without Ronaldo at the club, whereas he has contributed 10 goals and 17 assists in the 63 games he's played since the five-time Ballon d'Or winner made his return against Newcastle last year.
"Most of my assists last season were for him, so I don’t think [it is fair]," Fernandes told The Athletic in September when asked about whether he can play with Ronaldo. "I just had a poor season in terms of my own numbers. I don’t think it is about Cristiano.
"In the national team, I play with him and when I score, he is on the pitch. To play with Cristiano as a No.10 is actually really good because players respect him so much that it creates more space, as the opponents are afraid of him taking the ball and scoring."
The evidence is conclusive, despite what Fernandes has said. The playmaker has not been as effective with Ronaldo at the club, and he seems to grow in stature in his absence, just like he did when he gathered the ball to take the penalty against Uruguay.
It's been suggested by supporters that Fernandes wants to be the most important player, which he isn't when Ronaldo plays, but there's more merit in the argument that players are forced to compromise when the 37-year-old is leading the attack.
It felt like United's players were inclined to make wrong decisions last season, perhaps overawed with Ronaldo, someone who they might have idolised when they grew up, demanding the ball when there were better options around him.
Fernandes might have previously switched the ball wide or fashioned an opportunity for himself instead of passing centrally to Ronaldo, for example, and it will be interesting to see whether he improves in the final third following his departure.
Fernandes seems to be playing some of his best football at the World Cup. He's been outstanding for Portugal, effortlessly orchestrating their midfield in both matches and Erik ten Hag would appreciate it if he could return in that form.
The truth about whether Ronaldo was hindering Fernandes should also be confirmed when the Premier League returns.
READ NEXT:
