Portugal have asked FIFA to cancel the yellow card Cristiano Ronaldo received in the World Cup game against the Ivory Coast, saying the forward merely tried to walk away after being tripped and insulted.
Ronaldo and Ivory Coast right back Guy Demel clashed off the ball in Tuesday's Group G match and were both booked by Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda.
"The Portuguese player was tripped and pushed near the Ivory Coast penalty box. As soon as he got up, he was surrounded by his opponents and then pushed and insulted," the Portuguese Football Federation said in a statement.
"Given these facts, there is a disparity in the showing of the cards, once the African player, who committed a foul received a yellow card, and the Portuguese player who simply tried to walk away from the situation received the same punishment," it added.
Television images showed Ronaldo also shouting at Demel and other players before being booked.
According to FIFA's rules for the World Cup, a player receives a one-match suspension after a second yellow card.
Portugal play North Korea on Monday and then face Brazil four days later.
