Cristiano Ronaldo leads Portugal against Ghana and other World Cup news and highlights

By Ben Church, Issy Ronald, Amy Woodyatt, Ben Morse and Patrick Sung, CNN

Updated 1102 GMT (1902 HKT) November 25, 2022
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1:42 p.m. ET, November 24, 2022

"It's not the responsibility of the players to discuss human rights," says Danish FA CEO

From CNN’s Matt Foster

Jakob Jensen, CEO of the Danish Football Association, talks to CNN on Thursday.
Jakob Jensen, CEO of the Danish Football Association, talks to CNN on Thursday. (CNN)

The CEO of the Danish Football Association (DBU) told CNN the players at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar should not have to lead messaging around human rights. 

Pressed by CNN’s Becky Anderson on whether he’d allow the Danish captain to wear the rainbow-colored “OneLove” armband if he so desired, Jakob Jensen said: "I think it’s not the responsibility of the players to discuss human rights in Qatar and to discuss the decisions of FIFA.

The players are here to play the World Cup, they’ve been looking forward to that."

Denmark was one of seven countries planning to wear the armband during its World Cup campaign before withdrawing at the final moment due to FIFA’s threat of sporting sanctions.

The armband features a numerical No. 1 within a striped heart in different colors to represent all heritages, backgrounds, genders and sexual identities.

“The sanction in hand was not just a yellow card – it was at the very minimum a yellow card,” Jensen told Anderson when asked if making the statement was worth a yellow card.

“It could have been that the captain was not allowed to enter the pitch, that he was not allowed to enter the next match. That’s why we chose to do as we did.”

Jensen denied that the DBU planned to leave FIFA, but confirmed their refusal to support president Gianni Infantino in the upcoming FIFA presidency election.

“We’ve considered several times: Should we leave FIFA? It doesn’t make a lot of sense to leave FIFA,” Jensen said.
“Once again, our tactic is to try to change things in the room, to try to improve FIFA from the inside, and obviously we’re one of a few nations now not backing Infantino – we hope others will join us.
"That being said it seems pretty obvious that Infantino will be elected.”

Last Friday, the president of the German Football Association said the organization did not support current Infantino’s re-election to the role.

FIFA announced last Thursday that Infantino will run unopposed for the next term of the organization’s presidency. It will be Infantino’s third term as president of world football’s governing body.

Jensen confirmed the DBU are investigating “legal opportunities” as a result of the armband controversy, although he admitted that “there is a not a big chance we will have legal success.”

Asked about if the team had planned messaging similar to Germany’s players covering their mouths, Jensen said: “What we’re doing cannot be boiled down to what we’re going to do at one match.

“We’ve been coming here [to Qatar] for seven years with one message – human rights for all – and that’s still our message.”

Denmark’s next match at the tournament is on Saturday against reigning champion France at Stadium 974.

1:02 p.m. ET, November 24, 2022

Full time! Portugal 3-2 Ghana

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo became the first man to score in five World Cups.
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo became the first man to score in five World Cups. (Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images)

After a goalless first half, that second 45 minutes was some of the best entertainment we've had so far at this World Cup.

Portugal was certainly made to work hard for its win, but goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, João Félix and Rafael Leão gives Fernando Santos' side a crucial three points.

Ghana will be left to rue some sloppy defending and will feel as though that is a missed opportunity to come away with a point.

In a truly wild finish to a wild half, Iñaki Williams hid behind Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa and waited for him to roll the ball onto the floor before pouncing.

Unfortunately for Williams, he slipped at the crucial moment as he tried to get control of the ball and was unable to convert.

Ronaldo's exasperated expression on the bench said it all.

12:59 p.m. ET, November 24, 2022

GOAL! Hope for Ghana

Osman Bukari celebrates after scoring Ghana's second goal.
Osman Bukari celebrates after scoring Ghana's second goal. (Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Osman Bukari appears completely unmarked at the far post to head home and make it 3-2.

Hope now for Ghana with injury time remaining!

Lots of stoppage time has become a feature of this World Cup – and Ghana has NINE minutes to try and find an equalizer.

Bukari opted to pull out Ronaldo's famous celebration, which seems unusual when your team is still losing.

12:47 p.m. ET, November 24, 2022

GOAL! Portugal 3-1 Ghana

Rafael Leão scores Portugal's third goal Thursday.
Rafael Leão scores Portugal's third goal Thursday. (Marko Djurica/Reuters)

Rafael Leão gives Portugal a two-goal lead and surely that is game over.

Just two minutes and 15 seconds between Portugal's second and third goals – Ghana will be wondering just how it is two goals down.

It was another brilliant counterattack from the Portuguese, finished off superbly by Leão after Bruno Fernandes' through ball.

Ghana's defense looks awfully exposed now as the African side tries to find a way back into this match.

12:46 p.m. ET, November 24, 2022

GOAL! Portugal retakes the lead

João Félix celebrates after his goal gave Portugal a 2-1 lead over Ghana.
João Félix celebrates after his goal gave Portugal a 2-1 lead over Ghana. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

What a game this is turning out to be!

João Félix gets in behind the Ghanaian defense to give Portugal the lead for a second time.

2-1 Portugal!

12:37 p.m. ET, November 24, 2022

GOAL! Ghana pulls level almost immediately

Ghana's Andre Ayew, right, celebrates with Mohammed Kudus after tying the match at 1-1.
Ghana's Andre Ayew, right, celebrates with Mohammed Kudus after tying the match at 1-1. (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

That didn't take long!

Andre Ayew draws Ghana level just minutes after Ronaldo had given Portugal the lead.

Kudos to Mohammed Kudus there, who did brilliant to get to the byline and drill a low cross into the box for Ayew, who really couldn't miss right in front of goal.

That is the first goal scored by an African nation at this World Cup... could Ghana now go on to win this match?

12:29 p.m. ET, November 24, 2022

Penalty for Portugal ... and Ronaldo scores!

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with teammates after scoring a second-half penalty against Ghana on Thursday.
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with teammates after scoring a second-half penalty against Ghana on Thursday. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Cristiano Ronaldo is brought down in the box by Mohammed Salisu ... then steps up and converts the penalty to give Portugal a 1-0 lead!

Portgual's captain becomes the first player in history to score at five different World Cups – what an achievement.

It seemed like a soft penalty, but replays showed Ronaldo just got his toe to the ball ahead of Salisu.

Thankfully, we're saved from another 0-0!

12:03 p.m. ET, November 24, 2022

We're back underway at the Stadium 974, where it's Portugal 0, Ghana 0

We kick off the second half with the hope of seeing some tidier finishing as Portugal had a few chances in the first half, but couldn't find the back of the net.

Will the second set of 45 minutes see Cristiano Ronaldo score and lead the Seleção to victory?

We shall see!

12:01 p.m. ET, November 24, 2022

Meet Otto Addo, the Ghana coach responsible for guiding some of Europe’s brightest young stars

From CNN's Matias Grez

Ghana's Otto Addo gives his team instructions during the match against Portugal.
Ghana's Otto Addo gives his team instructions during the match against Portugal. (Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Many footballers are unsure of their calling once they hang up their boots and Otto Addo was no different.

The German-born Ghanaian international had enjoyed a stellar career in Germany, the highlight coming in the 2001/02 season when he won the Bundesliga title with Borussia Dortmund.

Addo, who represented Ghana at the 2006 World Cup and is now the country’s head coach at Qatar 2022, eventually finished his career at his hometown club of Hamburg and it was there that he began to get a sense of what life after playing might be.

As well as leading the Ghanaian national team, the 47-year-old also works as a player development coach at Dortmund where he helps nurture young talent both tactically and personally.

It’s a role that Addo says is “difficult to explain in a few sentences.”

He explains there are three main pillars – individual video analysis, in which he provides detailed feedback of each training session; transformation on the pitch, which helps players make the jump from youth team to first team; and lastly, but perhaps most importantly, guidance off the field.

“At least once or twice a month, I try to meet my young talent group,” he told CNN Sport in 2021. “The young players from the first team and then the best three or four players from the under-23s, under-19s and under-17s.

“Sometimes, we meet together and we eat something. We just talk about personal stuff, you know, if I have a feeling that any player has a problem, I try to meet him privately. I’m always there for them if they want to talk – and some need it more, some less.

“We talk about everything: their private life because I’m really sure that the better the relationships, the better I can coach them and then they won’t take criticism from me as badly. They should take it as help. I am really keen on building a good relationship between me and the young players.”

You can read more about Addo's unique role below: