Ramos was referred to the pitch side monitor in the dying stages of the clash between Tunisia and Denmark on Wednesday, as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) officials had spotted a possible penalty offence, as a shot struck a Tunisian hand.
But – in a surprising turn of events – Ramos deigned not to award the spot kick, choosing to ignore the suggestions of the boffins glued to their screens in the Fifa bunker.
It was a beautiful moment, a reminder of the referee’s autonomy many thought had disappeared.
It took courage, as Ramos was going against the accepted pattern, which goes “I’ve spotted something” followed by “I agree with you”.
Even if the majority of referrals are upheld, Ramos has reminded everyone they don’t have to be.
The run to the screen on halfway has become a pantomime; it was designed as a check, to consider something, but instead has become a rubberstamp.
It’s already led to some poor decisions.
The worst was the penalty awarded to Argentina against Saudi Arabia, after wrestling in the area. It was missed by the referee – mainly because it was innocuous and nowhere near the ball – but VAR suggested a referral, a long time after the initial incident, and the referee duly agreed.
It was bizarre. It wasn’t a clear and obvious error and such grappling happens at every set piece.
But it set a dangerous precedent, confirming the suspicion that VAR officials can lack a feel for the game.
Those behind the computers aren’t among the best referees in the world, otherwise they would be in the middle.
They aren’t even among the second cohort – the group of assistant referees running the line.
They are in the third tier but their influence is far reaching, as they endlessly scan for any minuscule moment the referee might have missed.
Fifa needs to address the balance before things get serious in the knockout rounds, because no one wants big games decided by a misplaced VAR intervention.
As the title implies, VAR officials are there to assist, rather than assign, and the trend won’t help player behaviour.
Defences are getting tighter and tighter, which along with the new ferociously forensic interpretation of the offside law (anyone missing the good ol’ lines on the screen?), means creating goalscoring opportunities seems harder than ever.
So the temptation to hug and grab and grapple and dive during any corner or free kick must be great, knowing the potential rewards are huge, with little risk of punishment for attacking players.
Interpretation of the handball rule is also a concern; you have to pity the poor defenders who need to tie their hands behind their back in a split second after a full-on burst, lunge or jump, which is often physically impossible.
Aside from those quibbles, the first series of group games has delivered overall.
While there have been a record four 0-0 draws, the goals tally has been boosted by England and Spain.
Already it feels like there are more serious contenders than in 2014 or 2018, and France definitely won’t follow the forlorn path of the four most recent titleholders.
Even without some key players, the defending champions retain their potent mix of poise, precision and physicality and could go deep, but there are no shortage of serious rivals.
Ecuador and Canada sparkled with energy among the next tier while Japan and Saudi Arabia could make Asian breakthroughs.
The major disappointment was the lack of early results for Africa. Senegal and Tunisia deserved more against powerful European nations, while Ghana, Cameroon and Morocco all had their moments against strong Uefa opposition.
