Cristiano Ronaldo Suspended From 2026 FIFA World Cup? Know What Happened with Portuguese Star

Cristiano Ronaldo once again made the headlines after Portugal faced Ireland in the World Cup Qualifiers. The Selecao failed to win away at the Aviva Stadium, as two first-half strikes from Troy Parrott marred their hopes of sealing direct qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In what was a frustrating night in Ireland, the skipper of Portugal was relatively silent for the time he was on the pitch. With all the home fans booing at him at the top of their lungs, the Portuguese veteran did something that could cause severe consequences for him and his team.

Cristiano Ronaldo Suspended for 2026 World Cup

Portugal's woes went further up as Cristiano Ronaldo suspension came as a shocker in the 61st minute of the match. Ronaldo was shoved, pulled, and pushed inside the penalty area for quite a bit of time, which apparently got to his head. He then seemed to elbow Irish defender Dara O'Shea in the back, which the Irishman seemed to make a big deal out of. As the defender kept struggling on the ground, Ronaldo made a crying gesture with his hand, which wasn't taken on a positive note by the Irish fans. The on-field referee initially gave him a yellow card, but after an extensive VAR review, he changed his previous decision and proceeded to show him a red card. As the Portuguese veteran was marching down the pitch, the Irish fans went wild with their celebrations, even mocking him by waving him ‘goodbye’. One fan among them took the opportunity to imitate his crying gesture, which further fueled the fire. Ronaldo seemed to have an altercation with the Irish manager before heading down the tunnel. This is the first red card for the Portugal national football team in his 226th appearance, which speaks of the discipline he had maintained throughout.

What Next For Ronaldo & Portugal?

As things stand, the direct red card could see Ronaldo suspended for the opener of the 2026 FIFA World Cup if Portugal manages to qualify. As per FIFA rules, if a player is dismissed for assault, which includes elbowing, punching, kicking, spitting, hitting, or biting an opponent, they should serve a three-match ban, or, for the time being, that seems appropriate, depending upon the extent of the assault. The Portuguese veteran is set to miss the last Qualifier game against Armenia national football team, a game that should be easy enough for the Selecao to seal their 2026 World Cup qualification. However, if they fail to win the game and Ireland win their next match by 7 goals, Portugal could see the exit doors in a rather twisted manner. If Portugal qualifies for the playoffs by being second behind the Hungary national football team, they will have to play two playoff matches in order to qualify for the big event. This implies that Ronaldo suspension might see him miss those two games as well, which should clear him for Portugal's opening match. In case Portugal wins against Armenia and seals direct qualification, Cristiano Ronaldo suspension would extend to the first two 2026 World Cup games, giving Roberto Martinez and co. a big headache in a crucial tournament.

FIFA Yet To Take Action on Length of Cristiano Ronaldo Suspension

The disciplinary committee is yet to finalize the penalty for Ronaldo's actions. It's entirely upon them who will decide the fate of the Portuguese superstar in what would be his final ever FIFA World Cup. Ronaldo and his team will be hoping for a lenient punishment, as he still remains one of the important cogs of his team, who can still be a huge difference-maker at the age of 41.