Portugal and Ireland played a World Cup Qualifier vital game and in a moment of total frustration, Cristiano Ronaldo hit an opponent. This prompted the referee to send him off.
Ronaldo was furious, even mocking the Irish player by signaling he was crying. In the end, it was a justified red card that puts Portugal in real jeopardy as they ended up losing the game.
The icon will now miss the game against Armenia on Sunday. Hence, it’s likely we won’t see Ronaldo ever again in a World Cup Qualifier match. Portugal are now under pressure, as their ticket to the 2026 World Cup is not secured.
Portugal’s scenarios to go to the World Cup
The question many are making now is: what do Portugal need to qualify for the 2026 World Cup? Portugal lost the game, but will stay in first place of Group F. They will stay with 10 points as Hungary trail with eight and Ireland climb to seven points. This leaves everything up for grabs.
Hungary and Ireland will play at the Puskas Arena and, if Portugal slip, Hungary will go to the World Cup with a win. If Portugal tie vs. Armenia and Hungary win, it all goes down to the goal difference: Portugal have +5 while Hungary have +2. Hence, it’s a tricky situation, but Portugal still depend on themselves to qualify.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s numbers in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers
During this qualifying process, Cristiano Ronaldo scored five goals. Still, he was far from the top spots in the goalscoring department. Erling Haaland (Norway) scored 12 times, Memphis Depay (Netherlands) seven, Harry Kane (England) six, same as Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium), Andrej Kramaric (Croatia), Marko Arnautovic (Austria), and Mikel Merino (Spain). Tied with Ronaldo, it’s Italy’s Mateo Retegui.