Dublin (TIP)- Cristiano Ronaldo’s historic dismissal in Portugal’s 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland has thrown his World Cup availability into uncertainty.
The red card, his first in 22 years of international football, arrived on a night when Portugal were looking to seal direct qualification but were undone by two first-half strikes from Troy Parrott. The suspension rules him out of the final Group F qualifier against Armenia and could extend into the 2026 FIFA World Cup depending on FIFA’s disciplinary ruling and Portugal’s qualification route.
Ronaldo was involved in an off-the-ball clash at the Aviva Stadium, initially booked for swinging an elbow at defender Dara O’Shea. VAR upgraded the caution to a straight red, leaving referee Glenn Nyberg with little choice. The decision not only complicated Portugal’s task on the night but also their immediate future, as they still need a win against Armenia to guarantee automatic qualification.
Because the incident is classified as violent conduct, FIFA’s Disciplinary Code allows for a stricter sanction. Chapter 2, Article 14(i) states that a player dismissed for “assault, including elbowing, punching, kicking, biting, spitting or hitting an opponent” should serve a three-match ban. Further guidance suggests a minimum of three matches for violent conduct or “at least three matches or an appropriate period of time” for assault.
If the Disciplinary Committee opts for the harsher penalty and Portugal top Group F, Ronaldo would miss the Armenia match and potentially the first two group-stage games of the World Cup. If Portugal slip into the playoffs, the suspension could instead be served in those fixtures, freeing him for the tournament opener. The committee’s ruling will determine the final length of his ban.
Portugal’s defeat leaves them two points clear of Hungary, with victory over Armenia still enough to secure top spot. They beat Armenia 5-0 in the reverse fixture, Ronaldo scoring twice, but the setback in Dublin has tightened the group and increased scrutiny on the disciplinary hearing.
Reaction from the Ireland camp acknowledged the contentious nature of the incident. One member noted: “I think the action looks worse than what it actually is it looks like an elbow. But we accept it.” He added that the only frustration stemmed from pre-match comments about referee influence.
Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrmsson detailed his brief exchange with Ronaldo: “He complimented me for putting pressure on the referee. It was his action on the pitch that cost him the red card just a moment of silliness from him, I would say.”
Portugal coach Roberto Martnez defended his captain. “A captain who has never been sent off in 226 games deserves credit,” he said. “Today it felt harsh. He had spent almost an hour being grabbed and pushed in the box, and when he tried to get away from the defender”
Tag: Ronaldo
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Ronaldo could miss World Cup opener after first Portugal red card in 22 yrs
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Ronaldo, Kane break records in wins for Portugal, England
London (TIP)- It was a record-breaking night for Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane as qualifying for the European Championship in 2024 got underway on Thursday, March 23.
Already the leading scorer in men’s international soccer, the 38-year-old Ronaldo now has more international appearances than any other male player after racking up No. 197 in Portugal’s 4-0 win over Liechtenstein.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United striker marked the occasion by converting a penalty and adding another second-half goal — a powerful free kick from the edge of the area — to move onto 120 in international matches. Kane, meanwhile, became England’s outright leading scorer of all time by netting a first-half penalty in a 2-1 win at Italy. It lifted Kane to 54 goals for his country, one more than Wayne Rooney. Qualifying for Euro 2024, which will take place in Germany, started three months after the World Cup finished.
BELATED REVENGE
Call it belated revenge for England. The meeting with Italy in Naples was a repeat of the Euro 2020 final won by the Azzurri at Wembley Stadium. The teams have met since then — twice, in fact, with Italy gaining a win and a draw in Nations League qualifying last year.
This time, England held on after first-half goals by Declan Rice and Kane, who tucked away a spot kick awarded following a VAR review after it was determined that Italy defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo touched the ball with his hand while attempting to prevent Kane from reaching a corner.
Kane had missed his last penalty attempt for his country, late in the 2-1 loss to France in the World Cup quarterfinals last year.
“It had to be a penalty, of course,” a smiling Kane said of his record goal. Argentina-born forward Mateo Retegui, who has Italian citizenship through his maternal grandmother, pulled a goal back on his debut and England played with 10 men from the 80th after left back Luke Shaw collected two yellow cards in the space of 54 seconds.
Italy lost to England in a competitive match for the first time since a World Cup qualifier at Wembley back in 1977.
It was a disappointing way for the Azzurri to start their latest qualifying campaign for a major tournament, having failed to get into the last two World Cups.
“We might be starting with an uphill struggle this time,” Italy coach Roberto Mancini said, “but let’s hope we end it better.”
North Macedonia beat Malta 2-1 in the other match in Group C, which also contains Ukraine.
EASY FOR PORTUGAL
Roberto Martinez enjoyed a comfortable start to his tenure as Portugal coach after handing Ronaldo a start against Liechtenstein.
The striker was left out of Portugal’s knockout-stage matches at the World Cup but was selected up front alongside Joao Felix — and repaid the faith shown in him by Martinez, who left his role as Belgium after the tournament in Qatar. Source: AP -
Ronaldo requests to be ‘freed’ from the final year of his United contract
Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer saga seems to have taken a fresh twist as the Manchester United ace has reportedly told the club that he wants to be released from the final year of his staggering £360,000-a-week contract. The Portugal forward missed United’s tour of Thailand and Australia and hasn’t started pre-season training with the club. But his future at Old Trafford looks bleak at the moment, with the five-time Ballon D’or winner wanting to play in the Champions League. United tried to convince Ronaldo following his return with his agent, Jorge Mendes, at the Carrington training base. But the discussions failed to convince the 37-year-old forward to remain at the club, and he wants to be freed from the final year of his contract, according to Daily Mail. Ronaldo on Thursday, July 28, trained for the first time with United since asking for a move. He was also in attendance for the Red Devils’ 4-1 friendly win over Wrexham on Wednesday. In Ronaldo’s absence, Anthony Martial has been playing up front and impressed on the preseason tour, scoring three goals in four games.
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Ronaldo’s future uncertain at Manchester United
The weekly social media posts published by Cristiano Ronaldo this offseason typically have shown the soccer superstar half-dressed, muscles bulging, either working out or promoting one of his many brands. Remaining relevant and highly visible is clearly so important to the player who, along with Lionel Messi, is the greatest of his generation. That also extends to the final years of his career on the field, too. It’s why, for the 37-year-old Ronaldo, playing for Manchester United — still one of the world’s most famous sports teams, despite their recent trophy drought — just isn’t enough. He wants to be competing on the biggest stage, winning the biggest trophies while he can. Hence the current standoff with United, which is becoming more damaging and disruptive as the days go by and the new season looms. Publicly, Ronaldo has not yet returned to preseason training with the English club because of what has been described as “personal reasons.” The expectation, recently hired United manager Erik ten Hag repeats on an almost-daily basis, is that Ronaldo will be back before the Premier League begins and be a key member of the squad. The reality, it seems, is different. Ronaldo reportedly wants out after just one season back at Old Trafford, with United no longer in the Champions League or in shape to compete with the best teams in England like Manchester City and Liverpool. United finished sixth last season, 35 points behind first-place City.
So, while the rest of the United squad has been on tour in Thailand and Australia, getting match-sharp and acquainted with ten Hag and his methods, Ronaldo has been back home in Portugal with his family while his agent, Jorge Mendes, shops around seeking a new club for his most famous client.
Currently, there is no buyer. And the Premier League season starts in about two weeks. “I don’t know what Cristiano said to the club and to the manager,” said United midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who also plays alongside Ronaldo for Portugal. “I don’t know what’s going on in his head, if he wants to leave. I didn’t ask them that.
Source: AP
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End of an era: Messi, Ronaldo both not making Champions League quarters after 16 years
For the first time in 16 years, the quarter-finals of the Champions League – Europe’s Premier football competition – won’t feature Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo after both Barcelona and Juventus were knocked out of the competition in the Last-16 stage. The 2020-21 edition is the first time the two football greats have gone out before the quarter-finals since 2004-05. It comes on the back of the pandemic-disrupted 2019-20 edition where neither Messi nor Ronaldo reached the semi-finals. Juventus crashed out of the last 16 for the second year running on Tuesday, losing to 10-man Porto on away goals despite winning the second leg 3-2 in Turin. Barcelona went down to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday after a 1-1 draw in the second leg took last year’s runners up to the quarter-finals 5-2. Incidentally, Juventus and Barcelona were drawn in the same group and it was a 3-0 home defeat inflicted by the Italian side that saw the Spanish giants finish second in the group and draw the tough French opponents. But while one era is ending, football fans seem to see a new one dawning as Kylian Mbappe and Erling Braut Haaland played a starring role to their teams to the quarter-final. In a symbolic performance, French world champion Mbappe had scored a whirlwind hat-trick at Camp Nou in the first leg and netted a penalty in the second to seal Barcelona’s earliest exit in 13 years. Meanwhile, rising star Haaland scored twice as Borussia Dortmund held off a late Sevilla fightback to reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a ‘crazy, amazing’ 5-4 aggregate win. The rise of Mbappe and Haaland offers a counterpoint to the early exits of Messi and Ronaldo in stark contrast.