Probationary Period Keeps Ronaldo Eligible for Sixth World Cup
LISBON, Portugal: Portuguese football icon Cristiano Ronaldo has been cleared to play in Portugal’s opening matches of the 2026 World Cup after FIFA issued a partially suspended ban on Tuesday. The decision follows the first red card in the 40-year-old forward’s 226-match international career.
The dismissal occurred earlier in November during Portugal’s 2-0 defeat to Ireland in Dublin, where Ronaldo was sent off for elbowing defender Dara O’Shea in the back. Following Portugal’s subsequent qualification for the tournament next summer, FIFA handed Ronaldo a three-match ban.
Crucially for the Seleção das Quinas, two of those matches have been suspended under a one-year probation period, with the mandatory one-match ban already served.
“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 stated.
The governing body warned that the remaining two-match suspension would be automatically activated if the all-time top international goalscorer commits an infringement “of a similar nature and gravity” during the probationary window.
With 143 international goals, Ronaldo is aiming to compete in a record sixth World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The group-stage draw for the tournament is scheduled for December 5. The FIFA verdict comes just a week after the star met U.S. President Donald Trump at a dinner at the White House.
