Cristiano Ronaldo cleared to play in 2026 World Cup after FIFA suspends remaining ban
Cristiano Ronaldo has been cleared to participate in Portugal’s opening matches at next year’s World Cup after FIFA suspended the final two games of his three-match international ban.
The 40-year-old Portugal captain was initially sent off during the team’s penultimate World Cup qualifying match against Ireland in Dublin earlier this month.
Ronaldo received a red card upgraded from yellow after a VAR review for an elbow to the back of Dara O’Shea in a 2-0 defeat, marking the first red card of his international career in 226 appearances.
As a result, Ronaldo missed Portugal’s final group game, a 9-1 rout of Armenia that secured their World Cup qualification.
FIFA subsequently confirmed a three-match ban but opted to suspend the remaining two matches under a probationary period, effectively allowing Ronaldo to start the tournament unless he reoffends.
“In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the serving of the two remaining matches has been suspended under a one-year probation period,” FIFA said in a statement.
The organisation added: “If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension set out in the disciplinary decision shall be deemed automatically revoked, and the remaining two matches must be served immediately at the next official match(es) of the Portuguese representative team.”
Article 27 permits FIFA’s judicial body “to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”
The governing body did not provide specific reasons for the suspension, though Reuters has contacted FIFA for clarification.
Ronaldo, who extended his contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr until 2027 in June, is poised to compete in his sixth World Cup, pursuing the only major trophy missing from his decorated career.
The forward, who has represented Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, has already lifted the 2016 European Championship and two Nations League titles, while holding the record as the all-time leading scorer in international football with 143 goals.
The draw for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico is scheduled for December 5 in Washington.
