Cristiano Ronaldo missed two World Cups❓FIFA disciplinary regulations: elbow attack banned for at least 3 games

Portugal lost 0-2 to Ireland. Cristiano Ronaldo elbowed his opponent and was sent off for the first time in his national team career.

This red card may bring further suspension penalties for Ronaldo. According to Article 14.1i) of Chapter 2 of the FIFA Disciplinary Regulations: Anyone who engages in violent behavior during the game, including but not limited to elbowing, punching, kicking, biting, spitting or hitting opponents and non-match officials, will be sentenced to at least three games or an appropriate suspension period.

Article h) also states that once the behavior against an opponent on the field is determined to be a violent act, the suspension period will start with three games.

This means that if Portugal directly advances to the World Cup in the next round of World Cup preliminaries, Ronaldo will likely miss the first two games of the 2026 World Cup. If Portugal enters the play-offs, the suspension penalty will be fulfilled during the play-offs.

The final decision on the length of Ronaldo's suspension will be made by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.