JAKARTA - Captain Cristiano Ronaldo was expelled after being rewarded with a red card when Portugal gave up losing 2-0 against Ireland in the 2026 World Cup qualifying Group F match at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Friday, November 14, 2025 in the morning WIB.
The disappointing result after Portugal lost for the first time in the qualifying round. The defeat made Portugal's move towards the 2026 World Cup finals postponed.
Portugal should have sealed tickets to the United States early, Canada and Mexico if they beat Hungary last October.
But Portugal, who played at home, drew 2-2 so that it opened up opportunities for Hungary to compete for automatic tickets as group winners.
After failing to beat Hungary in the home game, Portugal finally lost points for losing against hosts Ireland. The result did not affect Roberto Martinez's side who were still firm at the top of the standings with points 10.
However, Portugal received a serious threat from Hungary who defeated Armenia 1-0. The victory made Dominik Szoboszlai et al who are in second place only two points adrift of Portugal.
Meanwhile, Ireland is also being taken into account after winning over Portugal. Despite being ranked, Ireland has already collected seven points. If you fail to shift Portugal, at least Ireland can still compete with Hungary for a second place and compete for a playoff ticket.
In that match, Portugal actually started very well. They were able to control the game which forced the hosts to survive more. However, Ireland can still threaten Portugal through counter-attacks.
Evidently despite being under pressure, Ireland could actually steal a goal in the 17th minute. Striker Troy Parrot managed to beat goalkeeper Diogo Costa with a shot from close range. The goal started from Liam Scales' corner which crossed in front of goal and was then greeted by Parrot.
Left behind 1-0, Portugal tried not to be affected and still controlled the game. Even Selecao das Quinas created a number of opportunities to equalize.
Joao Neves had a good chance. But his shot is still wide. Likewise, Joao Felix's header only bounced over the crossbar.
Then it was Ireland's turn to put pressure on it. Even Heimir Hallgrimsson had a chance to increase his lead through midfielder Chiedozie Ogbene who almost scored. It's just that his shot still hit the post.
If Ogbene fails, then Parrot is the one who managed to break into Portugal's goal for the second time. Receiving the ball from the left, he took off the ball after beating Costa before firing a shot into the net. The score changed 2-0 for Ireland and lasted until halftime.
Entering the second half, Portugal tried to increase pressure in order to catch the goal deficit. Only their efforts never resulted in a goal.
Moreover, Portugal then lost the captain who got a red card in the 60th minute. Ronaldo, who looked frustrated because his team had difficulty scoring goals, committed a hard foul for elbowing from behind defender Dara O'Shea. The referee briefly reviewed the incident through VAR before expelling the 40-year-old.
This is the 13th red card received by this Al Nassr star. But this is Ronaldo's first red card in the national team.
Ronaldo, who is still listed as the top scorer in world football history, is in danger of being absent in the first match of the 2026 World Cup if Portugal qualifys for the finals. This depends on how long he has been banned from playing on a red card penalty.
Despite winning the number of players, Ireland was unable to use it to add goals. Until the game was over, Ireland remained 2-0 up.
"We failed to win. This makes us disappointed by this failure," said Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva. That's football. We congratulate our opponents. Their game organization is very neat and they actually made it difficult for us to play in Portugal," said the Manchester City player.
Portugal's chance to qualify for the finals will be determined in the last match against the weak team, Armenia. Meanwhile, Ireland will be struggling with Hungary to compete for second place if Portugal appears as group winners.
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