Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has been given the green light to feature in Portugal's crucial opening World Cup matches after FIFA dramatically reduced his suspension for a red card offence.
The Incident and Its Immediate Aftermath
The Portugal captain, aged 40, was dismissed during his nation's surprising defeat by the Republic of Ireland on 13 November. The sending-off occurred after officials ruled he had struck Irish defender Dara O'Shea with an elbow, an incident that saw Ronaldo making gestures towards O'Shea immediately afterwards.
This marked Ronaldo's 14th career red card but represented his first-ever dismissal in a senior international fixture, ending an extraordinary run of 226 matches without being sent off for his country.
FIFA's Disciplinary Decision
On Tuesday, FIFA's disciplinary committee made a crucial intervention in the case. Rather than enforcing the standard three-match ban for violent conduct, they commuted it to a one-game suspension with two further matches suspended under a year's probation.
This means Ronaldo has effectively already served his punishment, having missed Portugal's final World Cup qualifying match against Armenia following the incident.
The decision leverages Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which allows the judicial committee to "fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure." Normally, the code mandates "at least three matches or an appropriate period of time for assault, including elbowing, punching, kicking, biting, spitting or hitting an opponent."
Probation Period and Future Consequences
FIFA's official statement clarified the terms of the suspended sentence, noting that the two remaining matches have been suspended under a one-year probation period.
The governing body emphasised that if Ronaldo commits "another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension set out in the disciplinary decision shall be deemed automatically revoked and the remaining two matches must be served immediately at the next official match(es) of the Portuguese representative team."
This development comes shortly after Ronaldo's high-profile visit to the White House as a guest of President Donald Trump, though that occasion is unrelated to the disciplinary proceedings. The three-match suspension remains subject to appeal to the FIFA appeal committee, though the reduced sentence represents a significant victory for the Portuguese camp ahead of their World Cup campaign.
