Cristiano Ronaldo received the first red card of his international career during Portugal's 2-0 defeat to Ireland on Thursday night. The 39-year-old now faces a potential ban that could see him miss the opening match of next summer's World Cup.
The Al-Nassr forward was dismissed around the hour mark at Dublin's Aviva Stadium after elbowing Ireland defender Dara O'Shea. Referee Glenn Nyberg initially showed a yellow card before VAR upgraded the decision to red.
The sending-off came with Ireland leading 2-0 through Troy Parrott's first-half brace. Ronaldo reacted with disbelief, sarcastically applauding the crowd and directing anger towards the Irish dugout before being restrained by former Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho.
World Cup implications
The red card puts Ronaldo's participation in the 2026 World Cup at risk. FIFA rules state that straight red cards carry over to tournaments, meaning the suspension could extend into the group stage if Portugal qualifies automatically.
Portugal must now secure at least a draw against Armenia on Sunday to guarantee their place at the tournament. Ireland sits one point behind Hungary in Group F, with a win in Budapest on Sunday securing them a playoff spot.
Manager defends star player
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez defended Ronaldo post-match. He told reporters: «I think it's difficult for a player like Cristiano, who's in the box. And today he had two defenders constantly in physical contact. There's no violence. He tries to push the defender away and he was unlucky that the VAR... the angle of the images [makes it look] worse than what happened. It's Ronaldo's first red card for the national team, it's incredible.»
Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson took a different view. «He [Cristiano Ronaldo] lost his focus a little bit and maybe it was the fans as well. He was frustrated and reacted in a way he knows he shouldn't,» he said post-match. He added: «It was just his silly decision to attack our player.»
Historic victory for Ireland
The result marked Ireland's first win over Portugal in 20 years, ending an 11-game unbeaten streak. Parrott scored with a header in the 17th minute and added a second from the edge of the box before half-time.
The AZ Alkmaar striker described the victory as the «best night of his entire life». He told reporters post-match: «I have no words to describe it. We all know how important this game was for us, particularly after the result tonight. I am overwhelmed. I don't know what words to use, I am over the moon.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
