Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to participate in all Portugal matches during the 2026 World Cup, despite receiving a red card in a qualifying match for elbowing an opponent from the Republic of Ireland.
On Tuesday, FIFA announced a disciplinary ruling that imposed a three-game suspension on Ronaldo, labeling his action as “violent conduct.” However, two of those games will be deferred for a one-year probationary period.
Ronaldo has already completed a mandatory one-game ban during Portugal’s last qualifying match, a resounding 9-1 victory over Armenia that guaranteed their spot at the World Cup in North America.
Initially, it was anticipated that Ronaldo would face at least one more game suspension, starting what will be his record sixth World Cup on the bench.
FIFA’s disciplinary guidelines allow for parts of a suspension to be probationary, although it is uncommon for two out of three games to be deferred under similar circumstances.
In two recent instances this month, players from Armenia and Burundi were both handed three-game bans for aggressive behavior during World Cup qualifiers, without any reductions for probation.
FIFA stated, “If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another offense of a similar nature and severity during the probationary period,” the remaining two games will come into effect.
FIFA oversees disciplinary matters for national teams, and Portugal has scheduled two friendly matches in March, followed by potentially one or two warm-up games in late May or June. The World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, begins on June 11.
Ronaldo elbowed Ireland defender Dara O’Shea during a 2-0 defeat in Dublin two weeks ago.
This red card marked the first time Ronaldo was sent off in his record-extending 226th international match, although he has received 13 red cards at the club level.
FIFA mentioned that the three-match suspension can be appealed to the FIFA Appeal Committee.
It remains uncertain who would be able to challenge this verdict, whether it might be the soccer federation of Ireland or Portugal’s rivals at the World Cup.
This disciplinary decision follows just six days after Ronaldo met with U.S. President Donald Trump at a formal dinner at the White House, attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Ronaldo has spent three years playing in the Saudi Pro League for a club primarily owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund overseen by the prince.
This report includes information from The Associated Press.