Run, hide, protest to the heavens — it won’t matter. Cristiano Ronaldo is inevitable. And, as expected, he’s marching straight into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
CR7 fans can breathe easy because FIFA have effectively
torn up the “ban” slip tied to Ronaldo’s red card in the qualifiers.
As per The Athletic, the Portuguese superstar is now free to play in the FIFA World Cup opener next summer.
Ronaldo, now a 40-year-old force of nature, was sent off against Ireland on November 13 after catching Dara O’Shea with an off-the-ball elbow — a yellow that VAR helpfully upgraded to red.
That triggered an automatic one-match suspension, which FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee then stretched to three.
But then came yet another twist.
Per The Athletic, FIFA have now suspended the final two games of that extended punishment under a one-year probation period.
As long as Ronaldo doesn’t unleash another wandering elbow — or commit an offence “of a similar nature and gravity” — he’s clear for takeoff at the World Cup.
Reports from BBC Sport also noted that leniency factored in partly because this was Ronaldo’s first red card in 226 international appearances.
With the Armenia match already served, Ronaldo’s slate is wiped clean for next summer.
FIFA put it plainly: if he steps out of line during the probation window, the remaining two games of the ban will snap back instantly. Until then, he’s free.
Ronaldo scored five goals in qualifying, helping Portugal top Group F and punch their ticket to a seventh straight World Cup. And on December 5, when the draw drops, the rest of the 48-team field will find out whether they’ll be dealing with him.
So yes, the World Cup will have Cristiano Ronaldo. Because of course it will.
