Cristiano Ronaldo is at the risk of facing a ban in the opening match of 2026 World Cup as he received his first red card in his long international career during Ireland vs Portugal match. The incident occurred in the 61st minute when Ronaldo struck Ireland defender Dara O’Shea with his elbow while contesting the space off ball.
He was initially given a yellow card but the pitch side monitor and a VAR recommendation upgraded it straight to a red card after they conducted Ronaldo’s conduct as violent. This was Ronaldo’s first sending-off in 226 appearances for Portugal, although he has been dismissed 13 times at club level.
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Now that Ronaldo has been given a red card he will automatically miss Portugal’s next match which is against Armenia on Sunday. The match is extremely important as a win will secure qualification for World Cup 2026 – which will be held in United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA guidelines might also impact the suspension and if the foul play is serious then a minimum of two-match ban is mandated. Ronaldo’s fate now rests with the FIFA disciplinary panel, and the severity of their ruling could determine how Portugal begins its World Cup campaign.
Speaking in Ronaldo’s defence, Portugal coach Roberto Martinez the decision to give a red card was bit “harsh.”
“The red card is just a captain that has never been sent off before in 226 games – I think that just deserves credit – and today, I thought it was a bit harsh because he cares about the team.” as quoted by ESPN
“He was 60 minutes or 58 minutes in the box being grabbed, being pulled, being pushed, and obviously when he tries to get away from the defender…
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“I think the action looks worse than what it actually is, I don’t think it’s an elbow, I think it’s a full body, but from where the camera is, it looks like an elbow. But we accept it.
“The only thing that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth is at the press conference [Wednesday], your coach was talking about the aspect of the referees being influenced, and then a big center-half falls on the floor so dramatically at the turn of Cristiano’s body.”
