Cristiano Ronaldo received his first international red card in Portugal's 2-0 loss to the Republic of Ireland, prompting the Portuguese Football Federation to appeal the three-match ban to FIFA. The incident, involving an elbow on Dara O'Shea, threatens Ronaldo's participation in the 2026 World Cup opener. Coach Roberto Martinez defended the forward, calling the decision harsh.
The match took place at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, where Portugal suffered a 2-0 defeat in a World Cup qualifier. Ronaldo was shown a straight red card after VAR reviewed a tussle with Irish defender Dara O'Shea, deeming it violent conduct for an apparent elbow. This marked Ronaldo's first red card in 225 international appearances.
Under FIFA rules, the incident carries a minimum three-match suspension. Ronaldo will miss Portugal's final qualifier against Armenia on Sunday. If Portugal tops Group F with a win, the ban would extend to the first two matches of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Should they enter playoffs, it could affect those games as well.
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), led by president Pedro Proenca, is preparing a formal complaint to reduce the ban to one match. Their appeal rests on three pillars: the hostile environment in Dublin, influenced by Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson's pre-match comments that Ronaldo 'controlled the referee' in the reverse 1-0 win; repeated physical treatment of Ronaldo, including grabbing and pushing for nearly 60 minutes; and his impeccable disciplinary record with no prior reds.
Roberto Martinez supported his captain post-match, stating, 'I thought it was a bit harsh because he cares about the team. He was almost 60 minutes being grabbed, pulled, pushed, and obviously, he tries to get away from the defender.' He added, 'The red card is just a captain that has never been sent off before in 226 games,' and questioned the elbow classification, saying, 'I don't think it's an elbow, I think it's a full body.' Martinez also noted a 'bitter taste' from Hallgrimsson's referee influence remarks and O'Shea's dramatic fall.
As Ronaldo exited, he sarcastically applauded and exchanged words with Hallgrimsson, who later said, 'He complimented me for putting pressure on the referee… It was his action on the pitch that cost him the red card.' Hallgrimsson described it as 'a moment of silliness from him.' Ronaldo has returned to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, serving the automatic one-match ban.
Portugal leads Group F by two points over Hungary, and a win against Armenia would secure direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup. FIFA has not announced a timeline for the appeal decision, typically issued within three weeks.