No surprise that Ronaldo has escaped World Cup ban

There is no real precedent for Fifa's decision to suspend two games of Ronaldo's three-game ban but the tournament was never going to begin without him

- Jamie Braidwood

Arrive for dinner, stay for seconds: to the surprise of absolutely no one, Cristiano Ronaldo has been cleared to start in Portugal's opening match of the World Cup after Fifa's disciplinary committee ruled to suspend the final two games of his three-game ban.

No doubt to the delight of Donald Trump, Ronaldo has been granted a reprieve from the threat of starting the World Cup on the sidelines, following his red card for violent conduct against the Republic of Ireland earlier this month.

Six days after dining at the White House as a guest of the US president and as an envoy of Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, Ronaldo has received a ruling that, surely, no other player at next summer's World Cup could expect to receive in the same situation.

Ronaldo shook hands with Trump and stood by him in the Oval Office. He grinned while taking a selfie with Fifa president Gianni Infantino, who was also present at the White House. He is arguably the world's biggest celebrity, commanding a fanbase far bigger than the populations of most teams at next summer's World Cup, one that spans borders and continents.