Cristiano Ronaldo is at risk of missing Portugal’s opening match of the 2026 World Cup after being sent off for violent conduct in Thursday’s 2–0 loss to the Republic of Ireland.
According to ESPN, the Al Nassr striker initially received a yellow card in the 61st minute for elbowing Irish defender Dara O’Shea. However, following a VAR review, the referee upgraded the booking to a straight red. The dismissal was Ronaldo’s first ever for Portugal in his 226th appearance—an unprecedented milestone in men’s international football—though he has been expelled 13 times at club level.
Under FIFA’s disciplinary rules, Ronaldo is automatically suspended for one competitive match. The regulations also state that violent behavior can lead to a ban of “at least three matches or an appropriate period of time for assault, including elbowing.” Any suspension must be served in official games and cannot be completed during warm-up friendlies.
Portugal entered the match needing a victory to clinch qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, but a brace from Troy Parrott shocked Roberto Martínez’s side.
Despite the defeat, Portugal remains two points ahead of Hungary in Group F. A win over Armenia on Sunday would secure qualification and allow Ronaldo to appear in his sixth World Cup.
Ahead of the match, Ronaldo admitted that playing at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium would be challenging and that he expected to be booed by the home crowd.
He said, “I really like the fans here. The support they give to the national team it’s lovely. For me, it’s a pleasure to come and play here again. Of course, it will be tough. I hope they don’t boo me too much tomorrow. I swear that I’m going to try to be a good boy.”
After being sent off, Ronaldo was seen reacting to the crowd’s jeers with a wry expression, clapping his hands and giving two thumbs up in a gesture interpreted as sarcastic.
Ronaldo’s red card came after previous controversies with Irish fans, including accusations in the reverse fixture of having undue influence over the match official when Rúben Neves scored a last-minute winner against Ireland.
