Cristiano Ronaldo cleared to play opening matches at 2026 World Cup

Superstar footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, has been cleared to play in Portugal’s World Cup opener next summer after being banned for just one match following a special ruling by FIFA. 

Ronaldo, 40, was dismissed for a violent elbow on Dara O’Shea on the hour mark of his side’s shock 2-0 defeat in Dublin earlier this month.

The Portugal star had been facing a potential three-match ban for violent conduct, which would have ruled him out of the start of the World Cup.

But FIFA has suspended the second and third matches of the ban in a rare ruling, taking into account the red card was his first dismissal in 226 appearances for his country.

Ronaldo has served his punishment after he sat out the 9-1 win over Armenia, meaning he will not be suspended for any of Portugal’s matches at the tournament in North America.

A FIFA statement read: ‘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.’

The decision is a huge boost to Ronaldo and Portugal, and comes just a week after he met US President Donald Trump at the White House.

Reports in the nation had claimed the Portuguese Football Federation would appeal to FIFA for Ronaldo to only be banned for one match, with the organisation thought to have cited the fact it was his first -ever red card for the nation in their submission.

Portugal boss Roberto Martinez had also argued the player’s outburst was not ‘violent’.

‘Of course, we spoke,’ the former Everton manager said. ‘I think it’s difficult for a player like Cristiano, who’s in the box. And today he had two defenders constantly in physical contact.

‘There’s no violence. He tries to push the defender away and he was unlucky that the VAR… the angle of the images [makes it look] worse than what happened. It’s Ronaldo’s first red card for the national team, it’s incredible.’

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