Cristiano Ronaldo will be available from the opening whistle at the World Cup, even though the red card he received against Ireland for elbowing an opponent had put him at risk. He sat out the final qualifier against Armenia, but that will be the only game he misses. The remaining fixtures in his ban are suspended for a year and will only be enforced if he offends again. The move effectively guarantees the presence of CR7 from the first day of the tournament.
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has imposed a three-game suspension on Cristiano Ronaldo following the direct red card he received in the preliminary competition game for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ between the Republic of Ireland and Portugal, played in Dublin on November 13, 2025. The first of the three games was served in the Portugal–Armenia game on November 16, 2025,“ FIFA said in a statement.
“In accordance with Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, enforcement of the remaining two games is suspended for one year. If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another offense of a similar nature and seriousness during the probation period, the suspension set out in the disciplinary decision will be automatically reinstated and the remaining two games must be served immediately in the next official game or games for the Portuguese national team. This is without prejudice to any additional penalties imposed for the new offense.”
This is not the first time FIFA has used this type of conditional suspension for players who have been sent off. In this case, though, with Ronaldo involved and the possibility of him appearing in his sixth World Cup, speculation has surged. Other players recently punished for violent conduct have not received the same treatment now afforded to the star from Madeira.