Overview
- Troy Parrott scored both goals in Dublin to secure a landmark World Cup qualifying win for the Republic of Ireland.
- Cristiano Ronaldo was dismissed for elbowing Dara O’Shea after referee Glenn Nyberg upgraded an initial yellow to red following a VAR review led by Pol van Boekel.
- Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson said Ronaldo told him he had ‘put pressure on the referee,’ while Portugal coach Roberto Martinez called the red card harsh.
- The straight red triggers at least a one-match suspension that rules Ronaldo out of Portugal’s next qualifier against Armenia, and a multi-game ban could carry into the 2026 World Cup opener.
- Ireland sit within reach of second place before a decisive trip to Hungary, and Portuguese outlet A Bola reported Ronaldo has been released from the squad, a claim not yet confirmed by the federation.