Cristiano Ronaldo looked like he had clinched three points for the Portuguese national team when Dutch referee Danny Makkelie ruled out the goal, which was misjudged to have been cleared off the line by Serbian defender, Aleksandar Mitrovic. The ball clearly had gone in, but the referee didn’t see it that way and with the absence of VAR, the goal was disallowed. This lead to a protest by Ronaldo, who left the field angrily, throwing his captain band on the floor, before the final whistle.
After consulting with the linesman, the referee continued the play, which the match ended in 2-2 draw.
Makkelie told Portuguese publication A Bola
"As per FIFA's policies, all I can say is that I apologised to the national coach, Fernando Santos, and to the Portuguese team for what happened. As a referee team, we always work hard to make good decisions. When we are in the news in this manner, it doesn't make us happy at all."
Many criticized Ronaldo’s reaction, with pundits saying it’s unethical of him. Ronaldo explained his action on his Instagram page, saying "I always give and will give everything for my country, that will never change," he said on Instagram. “But there are difficult times to deal with, especially when we feel that an entire nation is being harmed.”
Portugal sits in second position to Serbia, who are top of the group on goal difference. Portugal will be facing Luxembourg in their next match on Tuesday night.