Ronaldo slaps opponent in the face during World Cup qualifying match; Video goes viral

After scoring twice in the qualifiers group match between Portugal and Ireland, Cristiano Ronaldo broke the world record to become the all-time international men’s leading scorer, surpassing Iranian footballer Ali Daei’s previous record.

Portugal won the game 2 – 1 but an incident that happened during the 15th minute of the match has sparked a controversy. Cristiano Ronaldo slapped Irish player Dara O’Shea as he was preparing to take his penalty. The Ireland footballer who was standing beside Ronaldo kicked the ball away from the penalty spot, triggering an angry response from the Portuguese football great. Ronaldo earned a yellow card for his conduct during the match, although several viewers believe that the slap was a red card offense.

Ronaldo missed the subsequent penalty, owing to a save by Manchester City teenager Gavin Bazunu. However, Ronaldo scored two back-to-back headers, one in the 89th minute and another in 90 + 6 minutes to seal the victory for Portugal.