Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has avoided a suspension for the start of the 2026 World Cup. The ruling comes after a moment of controversy during his nation’s qualifying campaign.

Ronaldo was sent off in Portugal’s penultimate World Cup qualifier, a 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland. The red card was issued for an off-the-ball incident in which he appeared to swing an elbow at Irish defender Dara O’Shea.

The immediate consequence of the red card was an automatic one-match ban. This ruled Ronaldo out of Portugal’s subsequent and final World Cup qualifier against Armenia, a game they went on to win 9-1 to secure their spot.

Violent conduct in football often results in a standard three-match suspension. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee agreed that Ronaldo’s offence was worthy of this extended ban.

However, the committee introduced a key twist to the punishment, offering a lifeline to the star player.

The ban was formally set at three games, one match was served immediately (against Armenia) and the final two matches were suspended for a defined period.

“The final two matches of Ronaldo’s extended ban would be suspended under a one-year probation period.”

This decision means the Portugal captain is now free to play in his nation’s first game at the World Cup, which is due to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico next summer.

Ronaldo, who scored five goals during the qualifying phase, is expected to play in what will be his sixth and final World Cup tournament.

The key condition of the suspended sentence is that Ronaldo must maintain good conduct. A FIFA statement made the terms clear:

“If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension set out in the disciplinary decision shall be deemed automatically revoked, and the remaining two matches must be served immediately.”

For now, the drama is avoided. Portugal can breathe a sigh of relief knowing their talisman will be ready when the tournament kicks off.