Cristiano Ronaldo sparks controversy! Ireland 2-0 ten-man Portugal, ending Portugal s unbeaten streak. Parrott s double blast shatters the dream of qualifying early

In the early morning of November 14, the fifth round match of Group F of the 2026 World Cup European Qualifiers started at the Aviva Stadium in Ireland. Ireland, playing at home, defeated Portugal 2-0, ending their opponent's unbeaten record in the qualifying rounds. Portugal missed the first defeat and locked in a World Cup ticket in advance. Ronaldo was sent off for a retaliatory elbow during the game, which became a turning point in the game.

In the first half of the game, Ireland stepped up its offensive. In the 18th minute, Portuguese goalkeeper Costa made a mistake in clearing the ball and sent a corner kick. After the Irish corner kick was taken from the right, Scales headed the ball and Parrott scored a header from the center to help the team take a 1-0 lead. Before halftime, O'Shea sent a precise long pass from the backcourt to penetrate the Portuguese defense. Parrott took the ball on the left side of the penalty area and feinted inside, then shot a low shot into the near corner to complete the double-shot. The score was fixed at 2-0. Ireland also posed a threat during this period. In the 39th minute, O'Beirne cut inside and shot into the far corner and hit the post, almost extending the lead.

In the second half, Portugal was eager to counterattack but fell into chaos. In the 61st minute, Ronaldo signaled his opponent to push someone in the penalty area but failed. Instead, he was shown a yellow card by the referee. After VAR intervened, the replay showed that he had a retaliatory elbow attack. The referee immediately canceled the yellow card and changed the decision to a straight red. Ronaldo left the field sadly. Portugal was in the dilemma of playing one less player. Although Vitinha had an open goal opportunity but missed the kick, substitute Ramos' long shot was saved by Kelleher in the 88th minute, but Portugal was never able to break through the opponent's goal.

Although Portugal controlled a certain amount of possession throughout the game, their offensive efficiency was low and the state of key players was sluggish. After the game, Portugal continued to lead Group F with 10 points, while Ireland moved up to third with 7 points. This defeat cast a shadow over Portugal's path to World Cup promotion, and they need to play steadily in the remaining games. Ronaldo's redness will not only affect the situation of this game, but may also face additional penalties, bringing more variables to the team. ‍