Cristiano Ronaldo has been cleared to play in Portugal's opening World Cup matches after Fifa's disciplinary committee reduced his three-match ban for violent conduct to a one-game suspension. The forward was sent off during Portugal's shock defeat to the Republic of Ireland on 13 November for elbowing defender Dara O'Shea.
Fifa's disciplinary code typically mandates a minimum three-match ban for assault, including elbowing. However, under Article 27 of the code, the committee opted to suspend the remaining two matches under a one-year probation period. Ronaldo has already served the one-match ban by missing Portugal's final World Cup qualifier against Armenia.
The Fifa statement confirmed that if Ronaldo commits a similar offence during the probationary period, the suspended matches will be automatically reinstated and served immediately. The decision is subject to appeal to Fifa's appeal committee.
Ronaldo, who was a guest of US President Donald Trump at the White House last week, had never previously been sent off in a senior international fixture, a record spanning 226 matches. His red card against Ireland was his 14th career dismissal.
