Ronaldo cleared to play in Portugal’s World Cup opener after ban is reduced
Forward and captain Cristiano Ronaldo will be available for Portugal’s opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals after completing a three-match suspension, two matches of which were suspended.
According to the ruling from FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, cited by the Lusa news agency, the 40-year-old was initially given a three-game ban after receiving a straight red card in Portugal’s 2–0 loss to the Republic of Ireland on November 13, during the fifth and penultimate round of the World Cup qualifying Group F.
Ronaldo served his suspension just three days later, sitting out Portugal’s 9–1 victory over Armenia in Porto—a result that confirmed the nation’s ninth, and seventh consecutive, qualification for the World Cup.
The suspension was applied before FIFA completed its review of the Portuguese Football Federation’s (FPF) appeal, which sought to limit the ban to a single match following Ronaldo’s first-ever sending off in 226 international appearances.
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