Cristiano Ronaldo could be fined over banned act in Portugal's Euro 2024 triumph against Slovenia: Reports
Cristiano Ronaldo could reportedly be fined following a banned act he may have performed during Portugal's Round-of-16 triumph over Slovenia. On the night, the Portuguese dug deep to win 3-0 on penalties after playing out a goalless draw in regular time.
The issue that may see Ronaldo in trouble is pertaining to data released by a company that the 39-year-old is associated with. WHOOP, a fitness brand that monitors an athlete's activity, released the Al-Nassr striker's heart rate charts from this match.
The publishing of this information could be deemed as ambush marketing, a practice that is not allowed in events that already have official sponsors. This could be seen as a way of promoting the brand's products via Euro 2024.
Confirming the same, ex-Visa and Coca-Cola head of global sponsorships Ricardo Fort wrote on his X account (formerly Twitter):
"This chart has been circulating today. Cristiano x WHOOP is ambush marketing to Euro 2024. It is illegal and both the player and the company should be fined."
UEFA are yet to respond with any concrete action regarding this incident. In the past, Nicklas Bendtner of Denmark was fined for revealing Paddy Power underpants during a goal celebration at Euro 2012. The player was fined £80,000 and banned for one competitive international match by UEFA (via SPORTbible).
As things stand, Ronaldo is set to be available for his country's upcoming quarter-final fixture against France on Friday (June 5).
What did WHOOP's heart rate charts reveal about Cristiano Ronaldo?
WHOOP seemingly depicted Cristiano Ronaldo's ability to maintain composure in a high-pressure moment during Portugal's penalty shootout against Slovenia. The moment ought to have caused more stress after the team's skipper missed a penalty during extra time earlier in the same game.
After that, Ronaldo returned to take the first spot kick in the shootout and managed to convert it. This data reveals that the former Manchester United star's heart rate was at its lowest before he struck the ball in the shootout.
Although Ronaldo managed to put away his penalty and change the game's momentum to help Portugal win, he isn't in the best of form. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is yet to score a goal in this year's European Championships heading into an important final-eight tie against France.