Cristiano Ronaldo cleared to play Portugal’s World Cup opener despite Ireland red card

Cristiano Ronaldo has been cleared to start Portugal ’s World Cup 2026 campaign after he escaped further punishment following his red card for violent conduct against the Republic of Ireland.

A Fifa disciplinary committee has imposed a three-match ban, but with the final two games suspended, clearing Ronaldo to play part in Portugal’s opening match of the World Cup next summer provided there is no similar infringement during the probation period.

The 40-year-old forward was dismissed for the first time in his Portugal career after swinging an elbow towards Ireland defender Dara O’Shea off the ball during the 2-0 defeat in Dublin on 13 November.

Ronaldo was suspended for Portugal’s final qualifier against Armenia, but the Fifa Disciplinary Committee could have made the decision to upgrade his punishment to two or three games . Suspensions from qualifying fixtures must also carry over into the final tournament.

Fifa’s disciplinary code states that players could face an increased suspension of “at least three matches or an appropriate period of time for assault, including elbowing, punching, kicking, biting, spitting or hitting an opponent”.

It means Ronaldo could become the first player in history to reach six World Cup appearances, a landmark that Argentina’s 2022 champion Lionel Messi could also set at the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.