Sergio Ramos receives first red card in Mexico for kicking out at an opponent

Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos was sent off for the first time since his arrival in Mexico during a match on Sunday afternoon.

After leaving boyhood club Sevilla, the centre-back sealed a move to Liga MX side Monterrey - where he began life by scoring three goals in just five matches.

However in their latest match, which saw them beat Pumas 3-1, Ramos sparked controversy after being sent off in the final moments in the contest.

It all started in the 20th minute when the former Real Madrid star appeared to elbow his opponent in a moment which was not spotted by the game's official.

Then, late in the match, Ramos was handed his first red card in Mexico after an unnecessary foul on Pumas star Guillermo Martinez.

The Spaniard kicked the back of his opponent's right leg in a play where the ball was not even contested, with the referee adamant about his decision to send him off.

But Pumas boss Efrain Juarez was clearly frustrated after the final whistle as he claimed Ramos should have been sent off earlier for an elbow.

'Whatever his name is, it has to be an example,' he said. 'If someone from our country had done that, they'd be out in the 20th minute , not the 90th. That bothers me.

'We must protect our football. He elbowed a kid who just the day before said he was his idol.'

The incident involving Ramos' elbow came after Pablo Bennevendo praised the Los Blancos legend in the pre-match press conference, adding that he would include him in his list of five best defenders in football's history.

Meanwhile, after the match, Ramos appeared to poke fun at his dismissal and made reference to his hotheaded reputation on the football pitch.

Taking to X, he wrote: 'Very important win away from home against a difficult team. Time to rest and prepare what’s next,' he wrote.

'P.S.: It was obvious I couldn’t leave this league without a red card. +3 and onwards!'

Ramos saw his arrival to the Mexican side during the winter transfer window over a one-year deal after he became a free agent, ending his second spell with Sevilla.

In an interesting gesture to his former club, he opted to wear the No 93 as his Monterrey squad number - as a tribute to his stoppage-time goal for Real Madrid in the Champions League final back in 2014.

The former Spain international played 671 games for Galacticos and scored 101 goals, and was well-remembered for his late goals, which claimed several trophies for Los Blancos.

Following his move, Madrid published a club statement which read: 'Sergio Ramos will play for C.F. Monterrey. His shirt number chosen to remember a legendary moment for our club: minute 93.

'A tribute to madridismo, a reminder of a moment that changed our history. Eternally grateful, @SergioRamos. We wish you lots of luck and success.'

Last year, it was understood that Los Blancos ruled out bringing Ramos back to the club despite several injuries in the defensive line which saw Eder Militao and David Alaba sidelined for a lengthy period.

Ramos' sanction on Sunday became his 29th red card throughout his career - with 26 coming at Real Madrid and another two while at Paris Saint-Germain.