Cristiano Ronaldo has been spared a suspension that would have kept him out of the opening matches of the 2026 World Cup. FIFA has decided to place the Portuguese star on a one-year probation period, effectively pausing the remainder of his punishment for the red card he received in Portugal’s penultimate qualifier earlier this month.
Ronaldo already served one match of the suspension, missing Portugal’s 9–1 demolition of Armenia in their final World Cup qualifier. Without FIFA’s intervention, the remaining two-match ban would have carried over to the 2026 World Cup — a tournament likely to be Ronaldo’s final appearance on the biggest stage at age 41.
FIFA clarified its ruling in an official statement:
“In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the serving of the two remaining matches has been suspended under a one-year probation period.
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 at the next official match(es) of the Portuguese representative team.”
The decision means Ronaldo will be eligible to start Portugal’s 2026 World Cup campaign — unless he commits a similar offense during the probation period.
