There has not been a World Cup reprieve quite the same as Ronaldo’s, where a three-match ban has remained in place but partially suspended.
There are, however, several examples of players getting what could be deemed lenient treatment.
In 2014, France defender Laurent Koscielny was sent off for slapping Ukraine’s Oleksandr Kucher in the first leg of the World Cup play-off.
Like Ronaldo, Koscielny was automatically banned for his country’s final qualifying fixture. Fifa then chose not to extend the Arsenal centre-back’s suspension beyond one match, allowing him to play at the World Cup.
Croatia’s Mario Mandzukic should have missed the opening two games of the 2014 finals after he was sent off for serious foul play in the second leg of the play-off win over Iceland.
Fifa gave him a one-game ban, meaning he could play the second match against Cameroon – a 4-0 win in which he scored twice.
Towards the end of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup, the Netherlands midfielder Phillip Cocu was sent off for an alleged retaliatory elbow on an Albania player.
Fifa chose to ban Cocu for two matches, meaning he missed the final Uefa qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Macedonia, but was free for the opening match of the World Cup.
Japan’s Makoto Hasebe was sent off for an elbow at the end of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, and like Cocu was given two matches. He was not so lucky, however, as the second match was the first game of the World Cup.
Likewise, Iran’s Saeid Ezatolahi was sent off for bringing his boot down on the head of an opponent in their penultimate qualifier. Fifa chose to give the midfielder two games rather than three, and he missed just the first game at the 2018 World Cup.
In 2002, Mexico midfielder Jesus Arellano was given a three-match ban for violent conduct against Costa Rica. He missed the final qualifier against Honduras and was set to sit out the first two matches of the World Cup.
But Mexico were successful in a late appeal just before the finals kicked off, claiming the suspension was too harsh. Arellano’s ban was reduced and he only had to sit out their opener.
