Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa praises Portugal’s 9-1 win but regrets Cristiano missing a historic nightPortugal President reacts to Ronaldo’s absence after historic 9-1 winPortugal may have sealed

Under the current ruling, Cristiano Ronaldo will be unavailable for Portugal’s final World Cup qualifier against Armenia on Sunday.

Cristiano Ronaldo is at serious risk of being banned for the first game of the 2026 World Cup if Portugal qualifies as expected. The soccer superstar was sent off for elbowing Ireland defender Dara O’Shea in the second half of a qualifying game Thursday that Portugal lost 2-0 in Dublin.

Portugal certainly will not have drawn up the finish to their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign quite like this, entering the final match day against Armenia still needing to wrap up a spot at next summer's big dance.

Cristiano Ronaldo has sent a message of support to his Portugal team-mates ahead of their meeting with Armenia. The Selecao currently top Group F ahead of the final round of World Cup qualification games but defeat to Ireland on Thursday means they need to win to book their trip stateside next summer.

Follow live text commentary, score updates and match stats from Republic of Ireland vs Portugal in the UEFA World Cup Qualifiers

Portugal faces Armenia this Sunday at 3 pm CET in a 2026 World Cup qualifier at the Estádio Dragão, with live streaming provided. Three Paris Saint-Germain players are involved in the match, all on the Portuguese side: Vitinha (25-year-old midfielder),

Top bosses of the Portuguese football federation have reportedly begun assembling an urgent appeal to FIFA in an attempt to cut down Cristiano Ronaldo's three-match suspension, a punishment that currently threatens to rule the 40-year-old out of the opening fixtures of what would be his sixth World Cup next summer.