Cristiano Ronaldo could miss Portugal’s opening match of the 2026 World Cup after being sent off during Thursday’s qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland.
The 40-year-old forward received a straight red card following an altercation with Ipswich Town defender Dara O’Shea. Ronaldo initially received a yellow after swinging an elbow into the defender’s back, but referee Glenn Nyberg upgraded the punishment to a red card following a VAR review.
The dismissal — the 13th red card of Ronaldo’s senior career — automatically rules him out of Portugal’s next qualifier against Armenia on Sunday. However, the consequences may extend further.
Under FIFA regulations, red cards in international competition can be escalated to a multi-match suspension at the discretion of the disciplinary panel. Given the nature of the incident, there is a possibility the ban could be increased to two matches.
If Portugal secure qualification as expected, that would mean Ronaldo is unavailable for their first match of the World Cup.
The incident comes after Ronaldo had joked earlier in the day about behaving better on his return to Dublin, telling reporters he intended to be a “good boy”.
The disciplinary verdict is expected in the coming days.
