Irish fans booed Cristiano Ronaldo off the pitch following his red card in Portugal’s 2-0 defeat to Ireland on Thursday night.
The Portugal captain was sent off in the 61st minute for elbowing Dara O’Shea in the World Cup qualifying clash at the Aviva Stadium.
It was Ronaldo’s first red card in 226 matches for Portugal.
WATCH: Cristiano Ronaldo Booed Off the Pitch By Ireland Fans
With Portugal 2-0 down, Cristiano Ronaldo tangled with Dara O’Shea in the Irish penalty box in the 59th minute.
Battling for the ball, the 40-year-old caught O’Shea with his elbow, sending the Ipswich Town defender to the ground. The referee initially showed him a yellow, but the VAR asked him to review the incident.
While awaiting the referee’s decision, Ronaldo went on to mock Irish fans, making a crying gesture.
Ronaldo was teasing the Irish supporters only to end up getting a red card😭😂
— Berneese (@theberneese) November 13, 2025
The Ireland supporters, however, had the last laugh.
As the referee changed his yellow to a straight red after review.
Ronaldo reacted to the decision by sarcastically clapping and exchanging words with Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimss.
Then, as he went off – boos rang around the Aviva Stadium, with some fans also hitting back with the crying gesture.
WATCH the video here 👀
Cristiano Ronaldo will never forget these Ireland fans 😂😂😂The booed him so hard off the pitch 😭😭😭
— 𝐂𝐀 𝐕𝐀?🐐🐐 (@psg_chief) November 13, 2025
Ronaldo, who holds the World Cup qualifying record for goals scored, will not be able to feature in Portugal’s crucial clash against Armenia on Sunday.
He could also miss the Portugal’s first group-stage match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The veteran striker has also been in the news lately with the amount of Cristiano Ronaldo penalties in the Saudi Pro League getting a lot of interest.
As he chases down 1,000 senior goals. With some alleging that he’s being helped along the way to hit his milestone target.
Ireland Have World Cup Play-Off Spot Within Reach After Portugal Win
Needing a win to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Portugal travelled to Dublin for their Matchday 5 clash against Group F rivals Ireland on Thursday.
The hosts, meanwhile, needed to avoid defeat to keep themselves in the hunt for the play-off spot.
Ireland enjoyed a brisk start at home, with Troy Parrott converting from a corner in the 17th minute. In the 45th minute, the striker made it 2-0 for Ireland.
He controlled Dara O’Shea’s long ball, cut inside from the left, and found the near-bottom corner with a low strike.
Get your sound on and UP as Republic of Ireland fans burst into the best rendition of Freed from Desire you’ll hear anywhere 🇮🇪💥
These were the incredible full-time scenes as they defeated Portugal in Dublin. Wow.#StanSportAU #WCQ pic.twitter.com/UjVauYzfBu
— Stan Sport Football (@StanSportFC) November 13, 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo’s red card on the hour mark made things a little easier for Ireland, but Caoimhin Kelleher still had to be on his toes.
The Brentford goalkeeper made five saves against Portugal, facing an xGOT of 1.49.
The victory against Portugal has given Ireland control of their World Cup destiny.
They are now third in Group F with seven points to their name.
Hungary are in second with eight points on the board. On Sunday, Ireland will meet Hungary for the final qualifier at Puskas Arena.
The equation is simple for Ireland. If they win, they will be through to the World Cup play-offs. Hungary, on the other hand, only need to avoid defeat to qualify.
