Cristiano Ronaldo has been cleared to play Portugal’s opening match of the 2026 World Cup after FIFA handed the 40-year-old a suspended sentence for his violent conduct against the Republic of Ireland.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was facing a three-match ban for catching Dara O’Shea with his trailing elbow in Portugal’s 2–0 defeat at Aviva Stadium. The red card was the first of Ronaldo’s 23-year international career.
