Cristiano Ronaldo has been cleared by FIFA and will not be suspended in World Cup 2026 following the red card he received during the match against Ireland two weeks ago, during the penultimate World Cup qualifier match. Portugal ended up losing that match but won the following one 9-1 against Armenia. Ronaldo did not play in the match, as he was sanctioned due to the red card caused by violent conduct.
Normally, an action like the one the Portuguese captain did (hitting Irish defender Dara O'Shea in the penalty area with his elbow) should carry a three-match ban due to violent conduct. That would have mean that Ronaldo would have missed the first two World Cup matches in the group stage.
But FIFA has cleared him as long as he doesn't commit another infringement of a similar nature and gravity. "In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the serving of the two remaining matches has been suspended under a one-year probation period" a FIFA statement said.
"If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension set out in the disciplinary decision shall be deemed automatically revoked and the remaining two matches must be served immediately at the next official match(es) of the Portuguese representative team."