Cristiano Ronaldo was shown a red card for the first time in his international career during Portugal's match against Ireland. The incident occurred in the second half when Ronaldo, visibly frustrated after Portugal's poor performance and trailing by two goals, elbowed Ireland's Dara O'Shea. Initially a yellow card, a VAR review led the referee to upgrade it to a straight red. Ronaldo's reaction to the decision was sarcastic, including applauding the crowd before leaving the field.
This dismissal means Ronaldo will miss Portugal's upcoming World Cup qualifier against Armenia. More significantly, the straight red card carries over into future tournaments, meaning he could also miss Portugal's opening match of the next World Cup, which may be his last. This suspension comes as Portugal are only two points ahead of Armenia in their qualifying group.
