Portugal will aim to secure its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday with a victory against Armenia, but the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be able to feature after his red card against the Republic of Ireland, something Bruno Fernandes described as “a costly mistake.”
Ronaldo lost his cool as Portugal tried to mount a comeback against Ireland on Thursday. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner let frustration get the better of him and elbowed a defender in the back, earning a red card that forced Portugal to play the final 30 minutes of the match with 10 men.
On the eve of a must-win match against Armenia, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes shared his verdict on Ronaldo’s red-card.
“He knows he made a mistake,” Fernandes said, via . “And unfortunately he won’t be able to help us tomorrow.”
“In the heat of the game, in the heat of the moment, the frustration of not getting the result we wanted. It’s something that happens in football, Cris [Ronaldo] had a reaction that proved costly. Obviously something he knows he didn’t want to do but ended up happening.”
