The 40-year-old was dismissed just before the hour mark for an elbow on Dara O’Shea, an incident initially judged with a yellow card before VAR sent referee Glenn Nyberg to the monitor. The upgraded decision leaves Ronaldo facing a ban that could rule him out of the opening matches of his final World Cup next summer.

Portugal were already trailing to two first-half goals from Troy Parrott, whose inspired performance delivered one of Ireland’s biggest competitive wins of the modern era. The forward headed in the opener after 17 minutes before drilling a low second past Diogo Costa on the stroke of half-time.

Ronaldo was visibly furious as he left the pitch, exchanging heated words with Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson, who had publicly questioned the choice of referee the day before the game. Hallgrimsson later hinted his comments may have disrupted the Portugal captain’s focus.

“Maybe I got into his head,” Hallgrimsson said. “But the decision was about what he did on the pitch, nothing else.”

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez strongly disagreed, calling the dismissal harsh and defending his captain’s conduct.

“He was being held and pushed for almost an hour,” Martinez said. “The replay makes it look worse than it is. For a player with his disciplinary record, it felt excessive.”

Ronaldo will miss Portugal’s final qualifier against Armenia through suspension, and FIFA disciplinary rules state that violent conduct such as elbowing can trigger a three match ban. If enforced, the sanction would carry into the tournament and force Ronaldo to sit out Portugal’s first two group games in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Portugal would have sealed qualification with a win, but defeat means they must beat Armenia on Sunday to guarantee their place at the 2026 World Cup.

For Ireland, the night was transformative. Defeat would have ended their qualification hopes, but the victory keeps Hallgrimsson’s team within reach of second place ahead of a decisive trip to Hungary.

Parrott, who delivered his finest performance for his country, called it a “dream night”.

“It’s the best moment of my career so far,” he told Irish broadcasters. “To do it here, in a game that mattered this much, is unbelievable.”

France became the latest side to confirm their place at the World Cup with a commanding 4–0 win over Ukraine, featuring a Kylian Mbappé brace. Norway missed the chance to qualify early despite Erling Haaland scoring twice in a 4–1 victory over Estonia, as Italy came from behind to beat Moldova and keep the group alive.