Cristiano Ronaldo will be available for Portugal’s first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be available for Portugal’s first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, after serving a three-match ban, two matches of which have now been suspended for a one-year probation period by FIFA.
The 40-year-old player was handed a three-match ban after being sent off with a straight red card in the 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland on November 13th, during the fifth and penultimate round of Group F in the European qualifiers for the World Cup.
Ronaldo served his suspension three days later, missing the home win over Armenia (9-1) in Porto, which secured Portugal’s ninth, and seventh consecutive, appearance at the world’s top national team competition.
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) appealed to ensure the forward would not be suspended for more than one match, following his first-ever sending off in 226 international appearances.
The appeal focused on three main points: the pre-match atmosphere created by the Republic of Ireland’s coach, the incident that led to Ronaldo’s red card, and the absence of any prior disciplinary record for the superstar from Madeira.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee accepted the FPF’s arguments and imposed a fine of 5,000 Swiss francs (about 5,400 euros at current exchange rates).
With the ban reduced, Ronaldo will be available for Portugal’s opening group stage match at the 23rd edition of the World Cup, which will take place from June 11th to July 19th next year.
