A scathing setback combined with an expulsion of Cristiano Ronaldo on the hour mark following an elbow on O’Shea. A sanction which could cost him very dearly for the next deadlines. If Portugal ever qualifies, the striker born in 85 could miss several matches. A.S. explains that if the referee qualifies CR7’s gesture as aggression in his report, the player could be suspended for 3 matches. The first will be against Armenia.
Then the next official competition is the World Cup. He could therefore miss up to 2 matches of the tournament. Which would be terrible for the striker, who will be experiencing his last World Cup. And the party could well be spoiled if the sanction is indeed this.
Roberto Martinez defends CR7
It is a real blow for Portugal which loses its captain for the final day of the group stage of the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. In the post-match press conference, the Portuguese coach did not fail to defend his player.
“ The first reason for Cristiano’s red card is his great passion and frustration when he doesn’t win, which is expected of all players. Then, it is very difficult for an attacker to progress in the area, constantly marked by the central defenders. Then, a coach (the Ireland coach, editor’s note) tries to put pressure on the referee, and a central defender, although very strong, collapses excessively. I think the images are worse than his action. »
