Martinez calls Ronaldo’s historic red card “A Bit Harsh”

Roberto Martinez labelled Cristiano Ronaldo’s first-ever international red card “a bit harsh” following their 2-0 World Cup qualifying loss to the Republic of Ireland.

Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez branded Cristiano Ronaldo’s historic first international red card, received during the 2-0 loss to the Republic of Ireland, “a bit harsh” while confirming the team accepts the VAR decision, according to a report from Sports Mole.

Following Portugal’s shock 2-0 defeat in Thursday’s 2026 World Cup qualifier in Dublin, Roberto Martinez gave his verdict on the sensational dismissal of captain Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 40-year-old striker was initially shown a yellow card for an elbow on Ireland defender Dara O’Shea, but the referee upgraded it to a straight red after a VAR review, marking Ronaldo’s first-ever international red card.

The dismissal means the Al-Nassr striker is “definitely suspended for Sunday’s qualification fixture with Armenia” and could potentially miss the start of the 2026 World Cup, should Portugal qualify.

Martinez defended his player’s intentions, telling reporters: “I thought it was a bit harsh because he cares about the team. He was almost 60 minutes in the box being grabbed, pulled, pushed, and obviously he tries to get away from the defender.”

Martinez suggested the television angle was misleading, adding: “I think the action looks worse than what it actually is. I don’t think it’s an elbow, I think it’s a full body, but from where the camera is, it looks like an elbow. But we accept it.”

Portugal must now beat Armenia to secure automatic qualification for the 2026 tournament. Martinez called the Ireland game “a game to forget,” but noted the team “showed fight until the end with 10 men.”