Cristiano Ronaldo has escaped a FIFA ban and will be available to play in the opening game of the 2026 World Cup.
Ronaldo was sent off for elbowing Dara O’Shea in a qualifying fixture against the Republic of Ireland, but he’ll only face a suspension if he commits another similar infringement during the probationary period.
BBC Sport reports that the fact it was his first red card in 226 international appearances was taken into account.
“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,” according to a FIFA statement.
Ronaldo won’t miss any games in the United States next summer, having already missed the game against Armenia on November 16.