Finally, there is a collective sigh of relief for Cristiano Ronaldo and his devoted supporters. The Portuguese star was facing a potential three-match suspension for elbowing an opposing player during a World Cup qualifier against Ireland. Had this ban been fully implemented, Ronaldo would have been forced to miss Portugal’s first two fixtures in the 2026 World Cup. However, FIFA confirmed yesterday that this outcome will not take place.
The governing body of football, FIFA, issued a disciplinary ruling where Ronaldo’s elbow strike in the Ireland match was classified as “violent conduct” or a “serious foul,” resulting in a three-match suspension. Crucially, though, the penalty for two of these matches has been observationally suspended (placed on probation) for a period of one year.
Ronaldo has already served the mandatory one-match ban that comes with a red card. He missed Portugal’s last qualifying match against Armenia last week, where Portugal secured their direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup with a decisive 9–1 victory.
Incident Details and Red Card Review
Prior to the Armenia clash, Ronaldo struck Irish defender O’Shea with an elbow during the match against Ireland. Referee Glenn Nyberg initially showed him a yellow card for the action. However, after reviewing the incident via VAR (Video Assistant Referee), the referee overturned his decision and issued a red card. This decision reversal, following a replay, indicated that the referee deemed the foul to be serious. This marked Ronaldo’s first-ever red card while wearing the Portugal national jersey.
Following this incident, there was widespread concern that Ronaldo would face a suspension of at least two, and possibly three, matches. It was anticipated that the player, who is set to feature in a record sixth World Cup, would have to begin his journey from the bench. FIFA’s ruling, however, has eliminated that worry.
FIFA’s Probationary Ruling Explained
FIFA stated that their disciplinary code allows for a portion of any sanction to be held as a probationary period. However, suspending two matches out of a three-match ban is considered a relatively rare occurrence. FIFA’s statement clarified, “If Cristiano Ronaldo commits a similar or equivalent disciplinary offense during the observation period, the remaining two-match suspension will then be enforced.”
It’s noteworthy that in two other cases judged by FIFA this month, two players from Armenia and Burundi were given three-match bans for aggressive conduct leading to red cards in World Cup qualifiers. In those cases, the penalty was not reduced through a probationary period.
FIFA’s disciplinary code applies to national team matches. Portugal is scheduled to play two friendlies in March, followed by one or two warm-up matches towards the end of May or June. The World Cup will kick off on June 11 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The FIFA ruling was announced six days after Ronaldo met with US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabian Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House, where the three participated in a formal dinner. Ronaldo has been playing for the Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr for three years, a club largely owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).