Polymarket Confirms Cristiano Ronaldo's Tears in $90 Million Bet Dispute

During a recent tournament, several individuals wagered millions of dollars on whether Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo would shed tears during one of the matches. CNN correspondent John Sarlin has highlighted the ongoing controversy surrounding whether the football legend actually cried.

This question gained significant attention due to a betting market on the Polymarket platform valued at approximately $90 million. Earlier this month, traders on Polymarket launched a market to bet on whether Ronaldo would cry at any point during a World Cup game. Millions were invested as traders conducted detailed research and analysis of Ronaldo’s history with crying.

Ronaldo had recently been seen crying after a loss in a 2024 tournament, and there were precedents from previous World Cups. In 2022, Portugal lost a match and Ronaldo was observed crying, which was understood to be more than just sadness over defeat. In the 2016 tournament, Portugal won and Ronaldo shed tears of joy. Given this extensive history, the odds settled around 70% in favor of Ronaldo crying during the event.

Then came Ronaldo’s match on Monday, where Portugal lost 1-0. Ronaldo left the pitch visibly upset. However, the question remained: was he crying? According to the market’s rules, "crying counts only if Ronaldo sheds visible tears clearly observable on his face in any photo or video footage." After the match, those who had bet millions scrutinized all available evidence. Photographs were examined closely and video footage was analyzed frame by frame.

When telephoto images taken by Getty agency cameras were published online, betting markets strongly shifted toward the "crying" option, intensifying the debate. Unlike traditional sports betting, where official match results determine winners, prediction markets sometimes cover ambiguous topics, such as whether Ronaldo would cry or if the US government would announce extraterrestrial life. This underscores the importance of precise details and clearly defined conditions.

In such a contentious case, Polymarket’s team reviews the event and issues a ruling. The platform’s final decision was that "Ronaldo was crying." As a result, some traders earned millions in profits, while others faced equivalent losses. The controversy lies in Polymarket’s statement that the decision was "based on photographic and video evidence meeting the criteria," yet the platform has not released this evidence publicly.

John Sarlin spoke with a source familiar with the process who confirmed that Polymarket "indeed possesses this evidence—including photos and articles—but does not disclose its exact nature to prevent users from over-focusing on it or accusing the platform of manipulating it with artificial intelligence, which could expose Polymarket to potential lawsuits." Attempts to obtain a public comment from Polymarket were declined.