Portugal was already having a bad day.
They trailed Ireland 2-0 at the hour mark of their World Cup Qualifying match against Ireland on Thursday. That's when Cristiano Ronaldo got involved in physical play in the box.
The decision required VAR to make.
But after a review, Ronaldo was sent off with a straight red card.
Why did Cristiano Ronaldo get a red card?
Cristiano Ronaldo was given a red card for an elbow he apparently threw into the back neck/head area of an Irish player in the penalty area.
Here's a look at it:
RED CARD RONALDO...😁🟥 pic.twitter.com/6simbqo2Ir
— Vincenzo (@vincetheprince1) November 13, 2025
And this is how Ronaldo reacted to the official decision, one that the Irish fans certainly enjoyed:
🚨 Cristiano Ronaldo sent off against Ireland 🚨 pic.twitter.com/3ufx3m0LJ1
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 13, 2025
It's not ideal for Portugal, which would've clinched World Cup qualification with a win at Ireland but instead had to go a man down while already trailing 2-0.
But they entered the day with a five-point gap to second-place Croatia in their qualifying group, so Portugal still controls its destiny.
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