Cristiano Ronaldo | Red Card Cancelled, Allowed to Play World Cup Games
Keyphrase: Cristiano Ronaldo red card cancelled
Slug: cristiano-ronaldo-red-card-cancelled-world-cup-games
Meta description: Cristiano Ronaldo gets his red card cancelled and he will play the first 2026 World Cup qualifying games.
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Cristiano Ronaldo red card cancelled in simple words
Cristiano Ronaldo received a red card recently, and many fans thought he would miss the first games of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. But the good news is that FIFA cancelled the punishment, and Cristiano will now play normally in the opening matches.
The decision came because Cristiano Ronaldo has shown good behaviour for a long time, and this helped reduce the punishment.
Why Cristiano Ronaldo got the red card
The incident happened on 13 November 2025 when Portugal played against Ireland in the World Cup qualifiers.
Portugal lost 2–0, and Cristiano received a red card in the 59th minute after a strong foul on Ireland defender Dara O’Shea.
The red card meant Cristiano was supposed to miss three matches.
Cristiano missed the Armenia match
Portugal played Armenia in the next match and won 9–1, which gave them a ticket to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
Cristiano Ronaldo did not play that game because he was still under punishment.
FIFA reduces Cristiano Ronaldo’s punishment
Why FIFA cancelled the red card punishment
According to ESPN, the FIFA disciplinary committee decided to cancel the remaining punishment for Cristiano Ronaldo. They said his case would stay on hold for one year.
This means Cristiano will play the first two group matches of the 2026 World Cup without any problem. The punishment will only return if he repeats the same mistake within one year.
Cristiano’s good discipline helped him
FIFA looked at Cristiano’s discipline record.
In his last 225 games, he received only one red card, and in his entire career, it was only the 13th red card.
This good record helped him get a lighter punishment.
FIFA has reduced punishments before
This is not the first time FIFA changed a punishment for a player.
In 2014, Croatian striker Mario Mandžukić also got his punishment reduced after receiving a red card.
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