Ronaldo’s Suspension Likely to Have Minimal Impact on World Cup Participation

Cristiano Ronaldo is anticipated to participate in the 2026 World Cup, despite receiving a red card for elbowing an opponent in a qualifying match against the Republic of Ireland.

On Tuesday, FIFA announced a disciplinary decision imposing a three-game suspension, categorizing Ronaldo’s actions as “violent conduct” or “serious foul play.” However, it also noted that two of these games would be deferred for a one-year probationary period.

Ronaldo has already served a mandatory one-game suspension during Portugal’s last qualifying match last week, where they achieved a remarkable 9-1 victory over Armenia, securing their place in the upcoming World Cup in North America.

Initially, it was anticipated that Ronaldo would face at least one additional game ban, which would have meant starting what would be his record sixth World Cup from the sidelines. Nevertheless, FIFA’s disciplinary regulations allow for certain aspects of a penalty to be probationary, though it is uncommon for two out of three games to be deferred in such cases.

In a similar vein, two players from Armenia and Burundi recently received three-game bans for acts of aggression during World Cup qualifying matches, without any probationary reductions.

FIFA’s statement indicated that if Cristiano Ronaldo commits any further infractions of similar severity during the probationary period, the remaining two games of his suspension would be enforced.

FIFA holds disciplinary authority over national-team matches, and Portugal is scheduled to participate in two friendly matches in March, followed by one or two warm-up games in late May or June. The World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is set to commence on June 11.

The incident that led to Ronaldo’s red card occurred when he struck Ireland defender Dara O’Shea with his elbow during a 2-0 loss in Dublin two weeks ago. This marked Ronaldo’s first red card in his record-extending 226th international appearance; he has been sent off a total of 13 times at the club level.

FIFA’s disciplinary verdict states that the three-match suspension can be appealed to the FIFA Appeal Committee. It remains uncertain who might have the legal standing to challenge this decision, potentially involving either the Irish Football Association or Portugal’s opponents in the World Cup.

This ruling by FIFA follows closely after Ronaldo met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House during a formal dinner with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Ronaldo has been playing in the Saudi Pro League for three years and represents a club that is predominantly owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund led by the prince.