Ireland – Portugal 2:0
If you ask a football fan in Ireland about the biggest villain, you’ll almost certainly hear the name Thierry Henry. The legendary striker helped France qualify for the World Cup in 2009 with a controversial handball against Ireland. Although he admitted to the act after the match, he never earned forgiveness from the people of the island nation.
Now, Ronaldo has joined Henry in that infamous company, though this time he was warmly welcomed by the crowd. "I really like the Irish fans, the support they give their national team is wonderful. I hope the home supporters won’t boo me too much. I swear I’ll try to be a good boy," the Portugal captain said with a smile at the pre-match press conference.
He returned to Dublin after 16 years, having played his first match there for Real Madrid – a friendly against Shamrock Rovers. But the home crowd didn’t grant his wish. Fifty thousand fans made their presence felt for the first time at the end of the seventh minute, when the Portuguese star stepped up for a free kick. The boos quickly turned to cheers when he smashed the ball straight into the wall.
Ten minutes later, the Irish were celebrating a goal, and by halftime, thanks to Parrott, they were celebrating again. The home side’s shock lead didn’t suit the visitors at all, and it led to a frustrated reaction from their captain. The experienced Ronaldo struck O'Shea with his elbow, sending him to the ground and sparking a wild reaction from the stands. He added fuel to the fire by pretending to wipe away tears in the direction of the Ipswich defender.
Referee Glenn Nyberg noticed the incident and immediately showed Ronaldo a yellow card. But that wasn’t the final decision from the Swedish official. VAR intervened, and after review, the experienced referee changed his mind. The result? A red card!
Ronaldo didn’t take the punishment quietly – quite the opposite. He sarcastically applauded the fans and, before heading down the tunnel, exchanged words with coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, with whom he then shook hands. "He praised me for putting pressure on the referee," revealed the coach after the match, having led Ireland to a valuable victory.
"It was his reaction on the pitch that cost him the red card. It had nothing to do with me – unless I somehow got into his head," Hallgrimsson added. After their surprise win, Ireland still have hope of qualifying for their first World Cup since 2002, while Portugal will have to secure direct qualification at home against Armenia on Sunday.
One thing is certain: Ronaldo won’t be there. Incidentally, thanks to his very first red card in his 226th international appearance, he received a rating of 5.1 from Flashscore – the lowest score he’s ever been given (since 2015, when player ratings were introduced on the Flashscore app and website).
Things could get even worse for Ronaldo. If, as FIFA’s disciplinary code states, he receives a three-match ban and Portugal win against Armenia, the veteran striker will miss the first two games of the World Cup. The only way out for the star would be if Portugal had to play in the playoffs, where he could serve his suspension...