“This Stinks”: Fans Blast FIFA After Cristiano Ronaldo’s Red Card Punishment Is Confirmed

Cristiano Ronaldo will be available for Portugal’s opening group game at the 2026 World Cup after FIFA decided to show leniency to the global superstar.

Ronaldo — who is the most followed person on Instagram with 668 million followers and football’s all-time leading scorer of official goals with 954 — was shown a straight red card for elbowing Dara O’Shea as Portugal lost 2-0 to the Republic of Ireland earlier this month.

He was subsequently banned for his country’s next game. That was a 9-1 win over Armenia, which prompted some fans to wonder whether Portugal might actually be better off without Cristiano Ronaldo.

Under normal circumstances, Ronaldo would have been banned for a further two games. That is because the standard punishment for violent conduct is three games.

However, FIFA have decided to instead suspend the final two matches of his three-game ban, meaning he is now available for Portugal’s next match.

FIFA said in a statement: “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.”

FIFA clears Cristiano Ronaldo to play in Portugal’s 2026 World Cup opener

Portugal’s next two competitive games will come during the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Ronaldo will be 41 when the World Cup starts, but he is still one of the main attractions for fans across the globe — even more so in the USA, where he has not played since August 2014, when he featured for Real Madrid in a pre-season friendly against Manchester United.

Therefore, him missing two games would be bad for business.

Ronaldo has a strong relationship with FIFA. He is a major sports ambassador for Saudi Arabia, which is set to host the World Cup in 2034, and he recently attended a White House dinner that President Trump held for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. FIFA president Gianni Infantino was also on the guest list.

Fans accuse FIFA of giving Cristiano Ronaldo special treatment

The news that Cristiano Ronaldo will only serve a one-match ban, instead of three, sparked disgruntlement among some football fans, with many accusing FIFA of offering him special treatment due to his status and his value to world football’s governing body.

One fan fumed: “This stinks. @FIFAcom corrupt? Who would have thought?”

Another dissenting tweet read: “Got to respect FIFA’s ability for making up rules so that Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t miss the first games at the 2026 World Cup! Just like when they ensured Lionel Messi played at the FIFA Club World Cup by moving the goal posts. Both equally blatant to see exactly what they’re doing.”

A third fan quipped: “Ronaldo apparently runs FIFA now.”

Meanwhile, journalist Martyn Ziegler wrote: “A week after his dinner in the White House, Cristiano Ronaldo gets a FIFA World Cup reprieve.”

Why did FIFA shorten Cristiano Ronaldo’s ban?

While the general consensus may be that Cristiano Ronaldo’s expected three-match ban was cut to just one because FIFA did not want his absence to weaken their big summer party, there is an alternative argument.

It is understood that the official line from FIFA will be that Ronaldo was shown leniency because his sending off against Ireland was the first red card of his international career.

However, it was also the 13th red card of his senior career. Cristiano Ronaldo’s list of career red cards includes six for Real Madrid and four for Manchester United.

He has also been dismissed for violent conduct seven times.