Article by Aurelian Botezatu – Published Friday, November 14, 2025, 07:55 / Updated Friday, November 14, 2025 07:56
Cristiano Ronaldo (40 years old) was eliminated with “red” directly in the match lost by Portugal against Ireland (0-2), for elbowing an opponent.
The 'red' seen in the 61st minute after elbowing Irish defender Dara O'Shea in the back could cost Cristiano Ronaldo dearly. He is automatically suspended for the last match of the preliminary group, against Armenia, where Portugal need just a draw to seal qualification for the 2026 World Cup. And if he receives more suspensions, he could also miss the first matches of the final tournament hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Red cards are not erased at the end of preliminaries
The probability of being punished harshly is high, since it was about aggression, and his deed falls under “violent conduct” – writes the daily Marca. If he had been eliminated with two “yellows”, for example, he would have been left with only one stage of suspension, to perform with Armenia. The “yellows” are deleted anyway at the end of the preliminaries. But since it is a direct “red”, the sanction also extends to the final tournament.
This is the first time the Portugal captain has been sent off in a match for his national team, after 226 appearances and more than 22 years with the national team. Throughout his career, Cristiano Ronaldo had previously been sent off twelve times, eight of which were straight red cards.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez: “Ronaldo was unlucky that VAR…”
Coach Roberto Martinez jumped out after the game in support of CR7. “I think it's difficult for a player like Cristiano, in the box. Today he had two defenders in constant physical contact. There was no violence.
He tried to get past a defender and it was unlucky that there WAS… the angle of the pictures makes things look worse than what actually happened. It's Ronaldo's first red card with the national team, unbelievable,” commented Martinez.
Martinez's counterpart, Heimir Hallgrimsson, also spoke about the incident. “Ronaldo ironically congratulated me for putting pressure on the referee. His action led to the red card, I had nothing to do with it,” defended the Ireland coach.
Nicolas Otamendi will miss Argentina's debut at the 2026 World Cup
Cristiano wouldn't be the first to be suspended for the final tournament of the summer. Nicolás Otamendi, sent off with a straight red in Argentina's last qualifying match against Ecuador, will be suspended for one match.
As a result, the Benfica Lisbon defender will not be able to play for the reigning world champions in the first game of the 2026 World Cup.
