Will Ronaldo Be Banned At World Cup After Red Card?

Cristiano Ronaldo received a consecutive reddish paper during Portugal's World Cup qualifier against nan Republic of Ireland - but will he miss nan commencement of nan group shape if they suffice for nan 2026 World Cup?

Portugal were trailing 2-0 erstwhile Ronaldo fought pinch Dara O'Shea, hitting his elbow into nan defender's back.

Referee Glenn Nyberg spotted nan incident and showed Ronaldo a yellowish card, but upgraded it to a reddish aft reviewing it.

The incident was Ronaldo's first reddish paper for Portugal successful his 226th appearance.

Portugal will beryllium without their skipper for Sunday's location lucifer against Armenia, pinch a triumph needed to unafraid their spot astatine nan tournament.

Earlier this week, Ronaldo announced adjacent year's World Cup would beryllium his last awesome tournament, but now he is apt to miss nan commencement of it.

The reddish paper he received automatically carries a one-match suspension, ruling him retired of Sunday's important qualifier against Armenia.

But convulsive behaviour almost ever carries an extended suspension and nan other games would only beryllium served successful competitory fixtures.

If Portugal get nan triumph they request against Armenia to suffice directly, their adjacent competitory lucifer would beryllium their opening group crippled astatine nan World Cup.

If nan improbable happens and Portugal do driblet into nan play-offs, nan 40-year-old would beryllium retired nan semi-final and possibly nan final.

But really galore games will Ronaldo get? That is successful nan hands of Fifa's disciplinary committee.

Technically, Fifa could opt not to widen Ronaldo's prohibition astatine all, meaning he would not beryllium astatine consequence of missing nan commencement of nan tournament.

However, Fifa disciplinary codification states that a reddish paper for "assault, including elbowing, punching, kicking, biting, spitting aliases hitting an opponent" should transportation a three-match suspension. That would spot Ronaldo miss Portugal's first 2 World Cup group games aliases some play-off matches.

But it's not rather arsenic elemental arsenic that, arsenic Fifa judges these matters connected a case-by-case basis.

For instance, astatine nan 2023 Women's World Cup, England guardant Lauren James was fixed 2 matches for stamping connected nan backmost of Nigeria's Michelle Alozie.

So, Ronaldo should beryllium banned for 3 games, but he mightiness only person a two-match suspension.

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