The verdict fell this Tuesday and it sent a wave of relief throughout Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo will be there for the kick-off of the 2026 World Cup. Sent off for the first time in 226 caps against Ireland after a blood attack, the Portuguese star risked a lot: a three-match suspension according to the standard scale for violence. Finally, FIFA opted for a Solomonic but very advantageous decision: a sanction of three matches, two of which were suspended. Having already served the first in the card against Armenia (9-1), CR7 is officially cleared for the tournament in the United States. A clemency which raises questions, as the calendar of events seems scripted by Hollywood.
A visit to the White House that changes everything?
What fuels the fantasies is what happened between the red card on November 13 and the final decision on the 24th. On November 18, in complete uncertainty about his fate, Ronaldo appeared all smiles at the White House alongside Donald Trump and the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. Between symbolic key delivery and AI-generated video that went viral, the seduction operation was complete. Trump, who wants to make the 2026 World Cup “his” global event, has every interest in having the biggest star of “soccer” on the pitch and not in the stands. From there to imagine a discreet phone call to Gianni Infantino? The shortcut is tempting, especially when we know the close links between Saudi diplomacy, the Trump administration and the world football body.
However, reducing this decision to a simple stroke of political pressure would be unfair to the Portuguese defense. The Federation has put together a reinforced concrete file, carried by Pedro Proença. The arguments were factual and solid: an astonishing clean record in two decades of international career and a deleterious match context in Dublin. Coach Roberto Martínez insisted on the constant “grappling” of Irish defender O’Shea before the gesture of humor, pleading provocation rather than gratuitous aggression. FIFA was undoubtedly sensitive to the idea that we do not erase 226 matches of exemplary conduct for one second of error.
The triumph of Soft Power
The fact remains that this decision suits everyone. FIFA avoids the scandal of depriving the American World Cup of its headliner, Portugal gets its captain back, and the Trump-MBS axis once again demonstrates its power of influence, real or supposed. In this case, the line between sporting justice and “soft power” diplomacy has never seemed so fine. If no formal proof of intervention exists, the coincidence of dates will remain as a tasty anecdote from this pre-World Cup.
Ronaldo got away with it, but he owes it as much to his impeccable past as to his status as a diplomatic icon. The “good boy” may have made a mistake in Dublin, but the world football business knows no hard feelings when it comes to its best sellers of jerseys.
