FIFA hides Ronaldo from the World Cup poster

Social networking sites and global sports circles witnessed a state of controversy, after the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) published, through its official account on the “X” platform, an advertising poster for the 2026 World Cup without the appearance of Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, who is approaching his sixth participation in the World Cup.

FIFA’s move to appoint Bruno Fernandes, the Manchester United player, as Portugal’s representative instead of Cristiano, raised the astonishment of many football fans and fans of the Don. They consider that the move reflects an unjustified “ignorance” of one of the most prominent legends of modern football.

The controversy was heightened by the poster’s inclusion of pictures of a number of the game’s most prominent stars, including Argentine Lionel Messi, Egyptian Mohamed Salah, Senegalese Sadio Mane, Norwegian Erling Haaland, and France national team captain Kylian Mbappe. The storm of controversy between Ronaldo and Messi’s supporters did not stop even after FIFA re-published the poster including “The Don,” as many believed that Ronaldo deserved better recognition than that, even if those in charge of FIFA had a point of view. Different.

It is noteworthy that Cristiano Ronaldo is preparing to lead Portugal in the 2026 World Cup, in which it is participating for the seventh time in a row. This tournament represents Ronaldo’s sixth participation with his country in the World Cup, to which 42 teams have qualified so far, and his matches will be held in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico during the months of June and July 2026.