Cristiano Ronaldo has been dramatically sent home from the Portugal national team camp after receiving the first international red card of his illustrious career during a shocking 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
A Disastrous Night in Dublin
The veteran forward, who is 40 years old, was given his marching orders after an hour of play at the Aviva Stadium. The incident occurred when a frustrated Ronaldo flung an elbow towards Irish defender Dara O'Shea after a wayward cross evaded him. O'Shea went to ground clutching his back.
Initially, the referee showed a yellow card for the offence. However, following a VAR review, the decision was upgraded to a straight red card. This marked a historic and unwanted first for Ronaldo in his 226th appearance for his country.
Fallout and Potential World Cup Ban
According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Ronaldo has now been 'released from the national team' and will not remain with the squad for their upcoming fixture. He is expected to return to Saudi Arabia to rejoin his club side, Al-Nassr.
The consequences of the red card extend beyond this immediate dismissal. Straight red cards in international football typically carry an automatic two-match ban. This presents a hammer blow for the striker, as such suspensions carry over into tournaments. This means Ronaldo could be forced to miss the first game of what is anticipated to be his final World Cup, should Portugal qualify.
Frustration and Reaction
The entire evening was one of frustration for the Portugal captain. Prior to the sending off, he was seen gesturing to Irish defender Nathan Collins, seemingly suggesting he was crying. After the red card was brandished, Ronaldo sarcastically applauded the raucous home crowd at the Aviva Stadium as he trudged off the pitch.
His complaints continued, with video footage appearing to show him mouthing 'well done' towards the Irish dugout before being held back by former teammate Ricardo Carvalho.
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez defended his captain in a post-match press conference, arguing the incident was not violent. 'It's difficult for a player like Cristiano,' Martinez said. 'He tries to push the defender away and he was unlucky that the VAR... the angle of the images [makes it look] worse than what happened.'
Triumph for Ireland and Troy Parrott
For Ireland, the victory was a monumental step in their bid to qualify for the World Cup. The win, secured by a first-half brace from Troy Parrott, keeps their hopes alive. A loss would have effectively ended their campaign, but they now sit just one point behind Hungary ahead of a crucial match between the two nations on Sunday.
Parrott, who described the occasion as the 'best night of his entire life', opened the scoring with a close-range header on 16 minutes and doubled the lead before the break with a fine finish from the edge of the box.
Irish manager Heimir Hallgrimsson expressed immense pride in his team's performance, highlighting their 'hard work, discipline, focus and, most of all, good teamwork.' Commenting on Ronaldo's dismissal, he suggested the Portugal star 'lost his focus a little bit' due to frustration, ultimately reacting in a way he knew he shouldn't.
