Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off for violent conduct as the Republic of Ireland secured a shock 2-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Portugal in Dublin.
Ronaldo, who had clashed with Irish boss Heimir Hallgrimsson before the game, received a straight red card in the 60th minute for elbowing defender Dara O’Shea after a VAR review.
The incident came with Portugal already trailing from a Troy Parrott first-half double.
Heimir Hallgrimsson suggested he might have gotten “in Ronaldo’s head” due to their pre-match mind games, which focused on the referee.
Roberto Martinez (Portugal coach) defended Ronaldo, calling the red card “harsh” and accusing O’Shea of falling “dramatically.” Martinez also criticized Hallgrimsson for speaking about the referees pre-match.
Ronaldo is suspended for Sunday’s qualifier against Armenia and potentially faces a three-match ban for violent conduct.
If applied, this ban could force him to miss the start of Portugal’s World Cup group stage games next summer, should they qualify automatically.
