Portugal to appeal FIFA over Cristiano Ronaldo's red card suspension: Report

Rajarshi has been part of Khel Now since 2022, and he covers world football.

Published at :November 17, 2025 at 10:39 PM

Modified at :November 17, 2025 at 10:39 PM

(Courtesy : Getty Images)

The striker could be banned from playing in his team’s first World Cup game.

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) is apparently looking to appeal Cristiano Ronaldo’s red-card ban. If successful, he will surely play in Portugal’s first 2026 World Cup match.

Cristiano Ronaldo lashed out and elbowed Dara O’Shea around the hour mark in Dublin, leading to his dismissal during Portugal’s 2-0 qualifier match loss at the Republic of Ireland on Thursday.

The 40-year-old was suspended for Sunday’s crushing 9-1 victory over Armenia, which guaranteed their spot in the finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America the next year. The duration of the suspension is presently unknown.

He might miss Portugal’s first two World Cup games next summer if he receives a multiple-game suspension, which is the standard penalty for a straight red card.

Portugal set to appeal for Cristiano Ronaldo’s red card

Cristiano Ronaldo Getty — RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – FEBRUARY 08: Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr looks on as he lines up prior to the Riyadh Season Cup Final match between Al Hilal and Al-Nassr at Kingdom Arena on February 08, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

According to A Bola, the FPF is getting ready to file a complaint with FIFA to make sure his ban only applies to the Armenia qualifier in an effort to stop that from happening.

According to the Portuguese outlet, Pedro Proenca, the president of the FPF, was directly involved in the process of defending Ronaldo when they filed their complaint and provided three justifications.

Portugal’s three justifications

The first issue they will discuss is the hostile atmosphere within the Aviva Stadium and the acts of the Republic of Ireland coach, Heimir Hallgrimsson, contributing to that. Cristiano Ronaldo was accused by the Icelandic manager of controlling the referee during the teams’ previous encounter.

Second, they contend that O’Shea’s shirt-grabbing before the incident encouraged Ronaldo.

Lastly, they are hoping for goodwill over Cristiano Ronaldo’s international disciplinary record, as this is his first red card in 226 games for his nation.

In a fervent defence of his captain following Thursday’s defeat, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez maintained that Cristiano Ronaldo’s post-match rant was not “violent.”

For how many games has Cristiano Ronaldo been banned?

FIFA hasn’t revealed how many games he will be banned.

Why was Ronaldo shown a red card?

Following his violent conduct where he was seen elbowing an opposition player.

Will Portugal win the appeal?

They could if their evidences are convincing enough.

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Rajarshi Shukla

After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.