Cristiano Ronaldo faces a potential ban for the opening game of the 2026 World Cup following his first-ever red card in international football during Portugal's 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland on Thursday. The incident occurred in the 61st minute when Ronaldo elbowed Ireland defender Dara O'Shea. Initially shown a yellow card, the referee upgraded it to red after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor following VAR intervention. This was Ronaldo's first red card for Portugal in his 226th appearance, which stands as a record in men's international soccer. At club level, he has received 13 red cards. The Al Nassr forward will serve an automatic one-game suspension when Portugal face Armenia on Sunday.

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