Due to FIFA regulations stating that suspensions from the preliminary competition “will be carried over to the final competition,” Cristiano Ronaldo faces the risk of missing Portugal’s 2026 World Cup opener if his recent red card results in a ban exceeding one match.
Cristiano Ronaldo faces a serious risk of missing Portugal’s opening group-stage match at the World Cup 2026 due to FIFA’s Article 9.2 regulation, which outlines how suspensions are carried over in official tournaments: “Pending match suspensions imposed as a result of a direct or an indirect red card in matches in the preliminary competition of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be carried over to the final competition.” Portugal has only one official FIFA match left, the qualifier against Armenia, where Ronaldo will serve a minimum one-match suspension.
If the suspension is longer than one match, the unserved portion will apply to the World Cup finals. An “unwanted scenario” exists where Portugal could lose their Group F lead and be forced into a European playoff in March 2026, an official FIFA competition where Ronaldo could serve a longer suspension; however, the text notes this would “put Portugal’s World Cup presence at risk, making it far from an ideal situation.”