Portugal Appeals Ronaldo's Red Card Suspension

Cristiano Ronaldo received his first red card for Portugal during a 2-0 World Cup qualifying loss to the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Thursday, prompting the Portuguese Football Federation to appeal the decision in an effort to limit his suspension ahead of the 2026 tournament.

The incident occurred just after the hour mark in the second half. Ronaldo, Portugal's captain and all-time leading scorer, was initially shown a yellow card by Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg for striking Ireland defender Dara O'Shea with an elbow in the penalty area. After reviewing the play on the pitchside monitor, Nyberg upgraded the booking to a straight red for violent conduct. Ronaldo, who has played 226 international matches without a prior sending-off for his country, reacted by sarcastically applauding the home crowd and confronting Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrímsson on his way off the field.

The dismissal carries an automatic one-match ban, meaning Ronaldo will miss Portugal's final Group F qualifier against Armenia on Sunday in Porto. Portugal sit atop the group with 10 points, two clear of Hungary in second place. A win or draw against bottom-placed Armenia would secure automatic...