Sent off for Portugal
During his 226th appearance for Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo received his first red card for the national team in a surprising 2-0 defeat to Ireland. The legend of Real Madrid and Manchester United was sent off for violent conduct after swinging his arm at Dara O’Shea. Furious with the decision, Ronaldo sarcastically applauded the Dublin crowd as he made his way off the pitch.
This defeat was significant for Portugal, as it hindered their chances of World Cup qualification. However, they are still poised to secure a spot with just a point needed against Armenia on Sunday under Roberto Martinez. Unfortunately for Ronaldo, he may miss the first one or two games of the World Cup due to the automatic one-match ban for red cards. While this marks his first dismissal for the national team, it is noteworthy that he has received 12 red cards at the club level throughout his career.
Every Red Card in Cristiano Ronaldo’s Career
Ronaldo’s career began with a red card on the final day of the 2003/04 season while playing for Manchester United. As Arsenal celebrated their ‘Invincible’ season, Ronaldo faced dismissal against Aston Villa after receiving a second yellow card for kicking the ball away. As illustrated in the graphic below, he was sent off four times during his first tenure at Old Trafford, including two incidents against rivals Manchester City.
As Real Madrid’s all-time leading scorer with 451 goals in 438 matches, Ronaldo faced six red cards during his time there. The most memorable dismissal occurred during the 2017 Spanish Super Cup against Barcelona, when he scored the decisive goal and received a second yellow card just two minutes later, much to the delight of the Barcelona fans. He has also been sent off once while playing for Juventus against Valencia and once for Al-Nassr.
