Source:REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
[Saba Sports News] In Portugal’s 0-2 loss to Ireland in a World Cup qualifier, Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off with a red card for elbowing an opponent, marking his first red card in his national team career. According to ESPN, Ronaldo is also mandated to serve a one-match ban due to the red card. According to FIFA’s disciplinary rules, “serious foul play” must be punished with at least a two-match suspension. For “violent conduct,” the suspension should be at least three matches; for “assault, including elbowing,” the suspension should be at least three matches or an appropriate period of suspension. FIFA suspensions apply to official matches and not to friendly matches. During the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, FIFA generally announces global disciplinary results within three weeks after the matches in each window, covering incidents involving red cards and in-field disturbances. However, as the World Cup qualifiers play-offs will not take place until March, there is no urgent time pressure for FIFA to handle this month’s cases, but there remains significant external attention on the final outcome of Ronaldo’s case. Currently, FIFA refuses to disclose any timeline regarding this incident.