By Martin Graham
Cristiano Ronaldo’s dismissal in Portugal’s qualifier against the Republic of Ireland has raised questions about whether he could be kept out of the early stages of the 2026 World Cup.
The forward was sent off after striking Dara O’Shea with his arm during a challenge while Portugal was two goals behind. Referee Glenn Nyberg initially cautioned him but changed the decision to a dismissal after reviewing the clash on the monitor.
This was the first time the Portuguese captain had been expelled in his long international career.
As a result, he will not feature in the upcoming home fixture with Armenia, a match Portugal must win to book their place in the final tournament.
Potential disciplinary extension
The straight dismissal already removes him from Sunday’s qualifier, but further sanctions may follow. Punishments for physical aggression are often lengthier, and any additional matches would only be enforced in official competitions.
Should Portugal secure automatic qualification by beating Armenia, the next meaningful fixture would be the opening outing at the World Cup. If, against expectations, the team drops into the play-offs, he would instead be absent from those knockout ties.
The length of the suspension will depend on the ruling of FIFA’s disciplinary panel.
How many matches he could miss
While the committee has the authority to limit the punishment to the single mandatory match, the governing body’s regulations outline stricter penalties for actions such as elbowing or striking.
A three-game suspension is considered standard for such offenses, which would keep him out of two group fixtures at the tournament or both playoff duels. Nonetheless, sanctions are not fixed and have varied in previous competitions
An example came at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, where England’s Lauren James received a two-match ban after stepping on an opponent’s back.
Ronaldo, therefore, may face three games off the pitch, though a shorter ban remains possible.
