Even the greatest are not immune to losing their temper. In a World Cup qualifier against Ireland, Cristiano Ronaldo turned from Portugal's main hope into its biggest loss in a matter of moments: the forward was shown a straight red card for an elbow and, for the first time in many years of his career, was sent off while wearing the national-team shirt.
The Penalty-Area Incident: One Moment And Everything Falls Apart
In the second half, with Portugal already 2–0 down, Ronaldo clearly boiled over in one episode in the middle of the penalty area. In a duel with defender Dara O'Shea, the forward caught his opponent with an elbow – the incident looked more like a burst of anger than a normal coming-together.
The referee initially settled for a yellow card, but VAR stepped in. He was called over to the monitor to review the incident from another angle. After watching the replays, he changed his decision: the yellow became a straight red. For a player of Ronaldo's stature, that outcome was a blow not only to his emotions but also to his reputation.
Grimaces, Applause And A Spat With The Crowd
Cristiano's reaction was a mix of irony and irritation. He pulled a face without getting into a long argument with the referee, then turned towards the stands and applauded the fans, clearly in a sarcastic way. The Irish crowd and the opponents' bench had already been heating things up – earlier, Ronaldo had made a "cry-baby" gesture in their direction, as if mocking their complaints or provocations.
Once it became clear that the punishment had been upgraded to a sending-off, the mood in the stands shifted from routine whistles to full-on trolling. There was also a verbal exchange with Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson. According to the coach, Ronaldo told him that "he was the boss here" and asked whether he was happy with the red card. The reply was cool and pragmatic: of course I am – Portugal's best player is leaving the pitch, and Ireland are getting an advantage that, as Hallgrímsson stressed, he himself had nothing to do with.
Historical Milestone: First Red For The National Team And 13th Of His Career
This incident went down as a special entry in Cristiano's personal statistics.
- This was his first sending-off for the Portugal national team.
- In total, it became the 13th red card of his professional career.
Notably, Ronaldo has been sent off at every club he has played for except Sporting – he has let every other team down in this way at least once. His previous red card came only a year and a half earlier, in April 2024, in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final against Al Hilal, when Al Nassr lost 2–1 and Cristiano once again failed to keep his emotions in check.
One telling detail: when Ronaldo is sent off, it is almost always a straight red rather than a second yellow. Over 23 years at the highest level, he has left the pitch for two yellow cards only four times.
The Eternal Comparison: How Does Messi Look In This Light?
In situations like this, comparisons with Lionel Messi are inevitable. The Argentinian has four times fewer red cards – just three in his entire career. There is another interesting nuance: Leo has been rougher for his country than for his clubs – two of those dismissals came while he was playing for Argentina.
For Ronaldo, meanwhile, a red card for the national team has only now arrived, even though his fiery character and emotional outbursts have followed him throughout his career. This episode has only added fuel to the debate over whether Cristiano's emotionality is his greatest strength – and at the same time his biggest weakness.
The Group Picture: Portugal Stay On Top But Lose Their Leader
After the sending-off, Portugal did not completely fall apart, but they also lacked the strength to mount a comeback. Two goals from Troy Parrott of AZ remained the only goals of the match, and Ireland took three hugely important points.
Portugal still kept top spot in the group with 10 points, but the chasers closed the gap:
- Hungary reduced the deficit to two points,
- Ireland to three.
Even so, a direct World Cup berth for Portugal still looks almost inevitable: in the final round they host Armenia, who have already lost their chances of progressing. However, they will have to play that game without Ronaldo; the match is scheduled for daytime on Sunday.
Punishment For The Meltdown: How Many Games Will Cristiano Miss?
The main question now is the length of the suspension. The standard punishment for a straight red card is a one-match ban. But given the nature of the incident and the force of the elbow, the disciplinary committee may feel there are grounds to impose a heavier sanction.
If Ronaldo is given more than one match, Portugal risk losing their leader at the very start of the next tournament. For a 39-year-old forward who still wants to be a key figure for both club and country, such outbursts are particularly painful: every episode like this takes away not only minutes on the pitch, but also arguments against those who insist that the era of legends is slowly coming to an end.
