Cristiano Ronaldo received his first international red card against Ireland, leading to a heated exchange with the opposing coach and potentially missing Portugal’s opening 2026 World Cup game, while his manager defended his actions.
Following his first-ever international red card during Portugal’s 2-0 loss to the Republic of Ireland, Cristiano Ronaldo allegedly confronted Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson, blaming him for the dismissal, according to a report from GiveMeSport.
The dramatic World Cup qualifier in Dublin, which saw the Republic of Ireland shock Portugal 2-0, culminated in the 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo receiving his first red card in 226 caps for the national team.
The incident occurred after the Al-Nassr forward threw an elbow at Ireland defender Dara O’Shea following a tussle.
The initial yellow card was overturned by VAR, resulting in a dismissal that means Ronaldo is “definitely suspended for Sunday’s final qualifier against Armenia.”
Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson revealed that as Ronaldo walked off the pitch to a “chorus of ferocious booing,” he confronted the Ireland dugout.
Hallgrimsson told reporters: “He complimented me with putting pressure on the referee but listen, it had nothing to do with me, it was his action on the pitch that cost him a red card. It had nothing to do with me unless I got into his head.
He said that to me walking away. He told me it was a clever thing to do. He blamed the referee or whomever for this, but it was his silly decision to attack our player.”
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, however, defended his captain, stating to the Metro that “He had constant contact with the defenders, who were grabbing him…
There was no violence – he tried to push them away.” Martinez added that he believes the “angle of the images makes it worse than it actually happened.”