Accustomed to making the rounds on television for his spectacular goals and records in spades, Cristiano Ronaldo showed a much darker side to his personalityThursday evening, during the match between Portugal and Ireland (0-2).
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner went through this meeting like a ghost when an incident in the game brought the end of his evening. Guilty of a violent elbow on Dara O’Shea, CR7 left his teammates outnumbered from the hour mark.
Ronaldo will long remember this red card received after VAR intervention since it was his very first with the Portugal team. And it will certainly not be without consequences for its short-term future.
Ronaldo sees red: suspension for the World Cup is considered
Already suspended for the crucial match against Armenia on Sunday, in which Portugal must finish the job, Ronaldo could miss several World Cup matches if he qualifies.
According to information from the daily AS, a damning report from the referee could lead to a heavy suspension of Cristiano Ronaldo. If the striker’s gesture is qualified as “aggression”, Ronaldo could receive a 3-match suspension, which is equivalent to 2 World Cup matches after Sunday’s match against Moldova since it is the official competitions that are concerned. By announcing that this World Cup would be its last, CR7 perhaps projected itself a little quickly.
