Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to be banned for the first game of the World Cup finals after being sent off for elbowing an opponent — and he may even miss two matches of the tournament, should Portugal qualify.
The 40-year-old had a yellow card upgraded to red after he elbowed the Ireland defender, Dara O’Shea, in the back during the second half of Portugal’s 2-0 defeat in Dublin on Thursday.
Fifa’s disciplinary rules state that any red card will carry a one-match ban, which rules Ronaldo out of Portugal’s final qualifier against Armenia on Sunday, but that offences of serious foul play should be punished with a two-match ban and three matches for violent conduct.
The sanction should be “at least three matches for violent conduct” or “at least three matches or an appropriate period of time for assault, including elbowing”, Fifa’s disciplinary rules state. It is not clear whether Ronaldo’s offence was deemed to be serious foul play or violent conduct.
Fifa’s disciplinary committee is expected to confirm the sanction in around three weeks’ time. Bans only cover competitive matches, not pre-tournament friendlies. Ronaldo, who will be 41 by the time the tournament in North American comes around next summer, confirmed this week that it would be his last World Cup finals.
Armenia’s captain, Tigran Barseghyan, was given a three-match ban for headbutting Ireland’s midfielder Finn Azaz in their World Cup qualifier in October.
Ronaldo responded to O’Shea by mimicking crying, and left the field at the Aviva Stadium after an exchange with Ireland’s Icelandic manager, Heimir Hallgrimsson. He was ridiculed by Ireland fans as he disappeared down the tunnel. It was his first red card in 226 games for his country, although he has been sent off 12 times in club football since first joining Manchester United in 2003.
“Today, I think it was a bit harsh because he cares about the team, [during] his 60 minutes in the box [he was] being grabbed, being pulled, being pushed, and when he tries to get away from the defender I think the action looks worse than it actually is,” Roberto Martínez, the Portugal head coach, said.
“I don’t think it’s an elbow. I think it’s the full body, but from where the camera is it looks like an elbow.”
Martínez also criticised the reaction of O’Shea, saying “the big centre half falls on the floor so dramatically”.
Ireland won the game 2-0 thanks to two goals from former Tottenham striker Troy Parrott, who now plays in the Dutch league for AZ Alkmaar.
Ronaldo was jeered by the Ireland fans as he went down the tunnel
REUTERS
Portugal dominated possession throughout the game — even after Ronaldo’s 61st-minute ejection — but Ireland produced one of their best performances of recent times to hold off Martínez’s side. The win means Ireland will finish second in their group — and enter the play-offs for World Cup spots — if they can beat Hungary in Budapest on Sunday. Despite the loss in Dublin, Portugal will win the group and qualify automatically if they beat Armenia on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland scored twice for Norway in a 4-1 win over Estonia to put them on the brink of qualifying for their first World Cup finals since 1998.
Haaland took his qualifying goal tally to 14 and was handed a bag of burgers by a supporter after the match
The Manchester City striker headed home in the 52nd minute before a volley ten minutes later took his goalscoring run to 30 goals in 19 appearances for club and country this season. He added to two strikes from Alexander Sorloth, the former Crystal Palace forward who plays for Atletico Madrid.
Norway have all but qualified for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as they have a vastly superior goal difference to Italy, whom they play in Milan in group I on Sunday. The Norway and Arsenal captain, Martin Odegaard, who is recovering from a knee injury, travelled with his wife, Helene, and dog to watch the game from the stands in Oslo.
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Haaland has scored 14 goals in the qualifying campaign, including five goals in an 11-1 win over Moldova and a hat-trick in a 5-0 victory over Israel. He needs two more to level with Robert Lewandowski’s 16 goals for Poland in Euro 2016 qualifiers, which is the best record in a qualifying campaign since the turn of the century.
Haaland’s father, Alfie, was part of the Norway squad, which included Sorloth’s father, Goran, that qualified for the World Cup in the United States in 1994. They beat Mexico 1-0 but exited at the group stage on goals scored after a goalless draw with Ireland. Alfie was not in the squad, which included Tore André Flo and Henning Berg, when the country reached the finals in France four years later, and progressed to the last 16 after beating Brazil in the group stage.
Norway’s present squad also includes Sander Berge, of Fulham, Kristoffer Ajer, of Brentford, Oscar Bobb, of City, and Jorgen Strand Larsen, of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Haaland, left, and Sorloth’s fathers were both in the Norway squad at the 1994 World Cup in the US
FREDRIK VARFJELL/EPA
The opening exchanges were tense as Norway struggled to break down Estonia’s disciplined defence but Sorloth broke the deadlock shortly after the restart. “The most delicious goal of my entire life,” the 29-year-old said.
Kylian Mbappé scored twice, including a Panenka penalty and there was a first international goal for Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike as France secured their place at the World Cup with a 4-0 win over Ukraine.