Cristiano Ronaldo sent off: FIFA could hand him a tough ban for the elbow | OneFootball

The Portuguese star was sent off against Ireland for elbowing O’Shea, an action that FIFA punishes with several matches, and with only one qualifying match left, he would have to serve the suspension at the World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo had a nightmare night in Portugal’s defeat during their visit to Ireland, in what could be his last qualifying match. He threw an elbow from behind, was sent off for the first time with his national team, and could receive a punishment that would leave him out for almost the entire group stage of the 2026 World Cup.

“El Bicho,” frustrated by Dara O’Shea’s tight marking, responded with an inexplicable spinning elbow to the defender’s back and saw the red card after a VAR review, a punishment that the Portuguese ironically applauded to a crowd that bid him farewell with loud boos, insults, and chants for Lionel Messi.

However, the worst for Ronaldo could happen off the pitch, as FIFA is very strict with this type of action, and with the qualifiers about to end, the forward would have to serve his suspension directly at the World Cup.

According to “item i) of article 14, paragraph 1 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code”, it is established “at least three matches or an appropriate period of time for assaulting (including elbows, punches, kicks, or bites; spitting or hitting) an opponent or any other person who is not a match official.” Since Portugal only has one qualifying match left, the other two matches of the suspension would have to be served at the 2026 World Cup, causing him to miss almost the entire group stage, which consists of three games.

If the sanction and its severity are confirmed, Ronaldo would not be the only one to have to serve a qualifying suspension at the World Cup, as it has also been confirmed that Nicolás Otamendi will not be able to take part in Argentina’s opening match due to his red card in the closing match against Ecuador in Guayaquil.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.