Huge relief for Portugal. Forced to wait for the last match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers to qualify, the Seleçao did not tremble against Armenia (9-1). A victory far from trivial since it is the second biggest success in its history after a beating inflicted on Luxembourg (9-0), in September 2023.
What do these two boxes have in common? Each time, Cristiano Ronaldo was not there. The Portuguese striker (40 years old) missed this last meeting of the year, Sunday in Porto, because he was suspended, three days after receiving the first red card of his career with the national team during the defeat conceded against Ireland (0-2), in Dublin.
A truncated 2026 World Cup for Cristiano Ronaldo?
A sanction which could extend beyond this meeting against the Armenians. The regulations provide that a gesture of humor such as the elbow given by “CR7” to Dara O’Shea is potentially punishable by being sidelined for three matches. Everything will depend on the analysis made by the referee, Mr. Nyberg, with the intentional side being more severely reprimanded.
If the Portuguese federation prepares its arguments to try to lighten Cristiano Ronaldo’s sentence, in particular by arguing that he was caught in this action, the five-time Ballon d’Or is in any case now fixed. In part at least: if he takes more than one match of suspension, he will miss the start of the World Cup next summer. His last major competition with Portugal.
