Cristiano Ronaldo has made an immediate and premature exit from the Portugal national team camp following a dramatic and controversial sending-off against the Republic of Ireland.
A Shocking Dismissal in Dublin
The Portuguese captain's international fortnight turned into a nightmare during his nation's 2-0 defeat in Dublin. The legendary forward, who had never been sent off in his previous 226 international appearances, was given his marching orders for an incident involving Ireland defender Dara O'Shea.
Initially, the referee showed Ronaldo a yellow card, but VAR intervened, prompting the official to review the monitor and subsequently upgrade the punishment to a straight red. The decision was based on an alleged elbow from the 40-year-old Al-Nassr star.
Immediate Consequences and Departure
As a direct result of the dismissal, Ronaldo has been handed an automatic one-match ban. This suspension will see him miss Portugal's upcoming clash with Armenia on Sunday. Following this development, reports from Portugal confirm that the veteran striker has now been released from his international duties.
Ronaldo will now return to Saudi Arabia to rejoin his club side, Al-Nassr, ahead of their match against Al-Khaleej next weekend.
Managers Clash Over Controversial Incident
The red card sparked a war of words between the two national team managers. Portugal boss Roberto Martinez came to the defence of his captain, calling the decision "a bit harsh".
Martinez stated: "The red card is just a captain that has never been sent off before in 226 games - I think that just deserves credit. I thought it was a bit harsh because he cares about the team. He was 60 minutes or 58 minutes in the box being grabbed, being pulled, being pushed."
The Spanish manager added his belief that the action "looks worse than what it actually is", suggesting it was a full-body movement rather than a deliberate elbow, and expressed a "bitter taste" about pre-match comments from the Irish camp.
In a contrasting view, Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson offered a blunt assessment. When asked if he had spoken to Ronaldo after the game, the Icelandic coach replied: "No, I think we spoke enough when he came off. There was nothing to speak about. This was just a moment of a little silliness from him, I would say."
Potential World Cup Implications
The ramifications of Ronaldo's dismissal could extend far beyond this international break. If the ban is extended to three games – a possibility for violent conduct – and Portugal qualifies automatically for the next World Cup, the veteran forward could be sidelined for the nation's opening two group stage matches at the tournament.
This incident marks a significant low point for the all-time leading international goalscorer, casting a shadow over what has been an otherwise glittering career with the national team.
