Ronaldo suspension raises questions of possible political pressure

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal has received a one-year suspended sentence from FIFA. Had FIFA imposed an immediate ban, Ronaldo would not have been able to compete in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Allegations have emerged that U.S. President Donald Trump pressured the federation to reduce Ronaldo’s punishment.

On Nov. 13, during Portugal’s 2–0 loss to Ireland in the fifth match of Group F in the European qualifiers for the North and Central American World Cup, Ronaldo swung his elbow and struck the back of Irish defender Dara O’Shea in the 60th minute. After reviewing the incident through VAR, the refereeing crew immediately issued Ronaldo a red card. It marked the first red card of Ronaldo’s international career, coming in his 226th appearance for Portugal.

Under FIFA regulations, striking an opponent with an elbow is classified as violent conduct and typically results in an additional three-match suspension. Disciplinary measures from World Cup qualifiers also carry over to the finals. Portugal has already played its sixth and final qualifying match without Ronaldo, but a suspension could have forced him to miss the first two matches of the tournament. On Nov. 26, FIFA said Ronaldo’s foul cannot be regarded as serious violence and announced that a two-match suspension will apply only if he commits a similar act within the next year.

Speculation over Trump’s alleged intervention escalated after Ronaldo visited the White House on Nov. 18 with his fiancée Georgina. The Athletic, a U.S. sports media outlet, criticized the decision, writing that the World Cup would face commercial difficulties without Ronaldo.


김정훈기자 hun@donga.com