DUBLIN, IRELAND — A night that was meant to solidify Portugal’s path to the 2026 World Cup instead became a landmark moment for all the wrong reasons, as captain Cristiano Ronaldo received the first red card of his legendary 226-match international career during a shocking 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday.
The incident occurred in the 61st minute with Portugal already trailing by two goals. Frustration boiled over for the 40-year-old striker when, following a tangle with Irish defender Dara O’Shea inside the box, Ronaldo appeared to lash out with an elbow. Initially shown a yellow card by referee Glenn Nyberg, the decision was swiftly upgraded to a straight red after a VAR review of the pitchside monitor.
Ronaldo’s dismissal compounded a disastrous evening for Roberto Martinez’s side. The Republic of Ireland, inspired by a passionate home crowd and a brilliant performance from striker Troy Parrott, secured the upset victory. Parrott opened the scoring in the 17th minute before netting his second just before halftime, giving Ireland a commanding 2-0 lead that Portugal’s ten men could not overturn.
The historic red card carries significant implications for Portugal’s qualification campaign. Ronaldo is now suspended for Portugal’s crucial final qualifier against Armenia. Should FIFA deem the offense as violent conduct, the striker faces a potential two-game suspension, which would see him miss Portugal’s first match at the 2026 World Cup finals, provided they secure their spot.
Following the match, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez defended his star player, insisting the red card was undeserved. “It’s difficult for a player like Cristiano… he had constant contact,” Martinez said. “There’s no violence – he tries to push them away. He was unlucky. The angle of the images makes it worse than what actually happened.”
The famous win breathes new life into Ireland’s slim qualification hopes, while Portugal now faces a must-win scenario in their final fixture to guarantee automatic passage to the tournament.
