Ireland Shock Portugal with Ronaldo Red Card in World Cup Qualifier

Cristiano Ronaldo picked up a red card for elbowing an opponent as Portugal suffered a 2-0 defeat to Ireland on Thursday, squandering yet another opportunity to book their place at the 2026 World Cup.

Troy Parrott netted a brace during the first half, keeping Ireland's qualification dreams for next summer's finals on track with a stunning upset against Ronaldo and his Portugal colleagues in the Group F clash.

As Portugal pushed for a comeback, their exasperated skipper Ronaldo was ejected for striking Dara O'Shea in the back with his elbow.

Portugal remain at the summit of the group with 10 points, two clear of Hungary and three ahead of Ireland, ahead of their final fixture on Sunday. The group winners advance straight to the World Cup.

Martinez's team had already passed up a chance to seal qualification in October after drawing with Hungary, and they let another slip away at the Aviva Stadium amid Ireland's remarkable success.

Heimir Hallgrimsson's squad recognised the need to steer clear of a loss to maintain any shot at progression, following Hungary's 1-0 victory over Armenia earlier in Group F. Ireland's previous World Cup appearance came in 2002.

Portugal dominated possession early on while Ireland adopted a defensive stance, happy to repel attacks and threaten on the break.

Parrott nodded Ireland ahead unexpectedly after 17 minutes from near point-blank range, following Liam Scales' header across goal from a corner kick.

Joao Neves shot just wide and Joao Felix nodded over the bar as Portugal sought to level and intensified their efforts.

Chiedozie Ogbene nearly extended the lead at the opposite end, breaking through and striking the upright with a fierce effort before an energised local audience.

Parrott made it two for Ireland right before the interval, drifting in from the left flank and rifling a low shot beyond keeper Diogo Costa at the near upright.

Ireland had to drop deep again post-restart but benefited from Ronaldo's sending-off around the hour mark.

The 40-year-old forward vented his irritation by lashing out with an elbow at O'Shea's back, resulting in his dismissal after a VAR check.

This marked another tough outing for Ronaldo versus Ireland, coming after he fluffed a spot-kick in their October encounter in Portugal.

As the record holder for most international goals by a male player, Ronaldo risks sitting out the World Cup's opening games should Portugal advance, subject to his suspension duration.