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CRISTIANO RONALDO COULD FACE WOD CUP SUSPENSION: HOW PORTUGAL'S STAR RED CARD COULD TRIGGER WORLD CUP BAN

Cristiano Ronaldo pretended to wipe tears from his face after clashing with Dara O'Shea

Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo lost his cool Thursday in World Cup qualifying, and it could cost him time at his final World Cup this summer in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Ronaldo, 40, was shown a red card in Portugal’s 2-0 loss to the Republic of Ireland in Dublin, a controversial sending-off that came after VAR reviewed an incident with Ipswich Town defender Dara O’Shea inside the box.

Ronaldo will miss Portugal’s final World Cup qualifier on Sunday, with the nation in the driver’s seat to automatically qualify — a win puts them into the 2026 World Cup and a number of combinations could put the group leaders in Europe without the need for further qualifiers.

But FIFA rules say the leading male international goal scorer may face supplemental discipline due to the nature of his foul, triggering one or two more games to his ban and potentially keeping him from Portugal’s first two group games at the World Cup.

Portugal boss Roberto Martinez will join his star in arguing that the offense doesn’t rise to that of supplemental discipline for assault — and Ronaldo’s star may have his action adjudicated in a special manner — but the wording of the rule makes it tricky.

Cristiano Ronaldo red card vs Ireland: What did Portugal star do?

Portugal were already trailing 2-0 but had a free kick in a promising area when Ronaldo was jockeying for position with Ireland back O’Shea. Ronaldo took umbrage with O’Shea’s hands to his back and threw his elbow between the Irish defender’s shoulder blades.

O’Shea hit the deck and Ronaldo was shown a yellow card, then pantomiming the shove to referee Glenn Nyberg and balling his fists around his eyes at the defender to mimic tears.

The Video Assistant Referee was Pol van Boekel. He sent Nyberg to the pitch side monitor where the offense was upgraded to a red.

How could Cristiano Ronaldo be suspended from the World Cup?

FIFA’s Disciplinary Code says that a player will face a ban of up to three games if they are sent off for “assault, including elbowing, punching, kicking, biting, spitting or hitting an opponent.”

It’s certainly an elbow, though the word assault seems to be some wiggle room for leaders hoping to show leniency to Ronaldo.

The first game will be the Armenia qualifier. Portugal lead Hungary by two points atop Group F with 10 points going into the final match day and they are heavily-favored to dispatch Armenia at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto. Hungary face the Republic of Ireland, now three points behind Portugal, at the same time.

A Portugal loss would open the door to Hungary or Ireland to win Group F. Hungary could also seize a World Cup bid if Portugal draw and Hungary beat Ireland by at least three goals while scoring at least two more goals than Portugal score vs Armenia.

If that happened, Portugal would drop into second place in Group F and need to win two more World Cup qualifying elimination games this Spring to reach this summer’s tournament.

When will Cristiano Ronaldo learn of World Cup qualifying suspension?

The Associated Press’ Graham Dunbar says Ronaldo faces a wait to learn his punishment.

Dunbar says Ronaldo could face a 2-3 game ban — two does seem like a good hedge for FIFA, if we’re allowed to opine here — and that FIFA has usually taken around three weeks to issue supplemental disciplinary verdicts in the past.

How many career red cards have been shown to Cristiano Ronaldo?

Martinez has argue that Ronaldo should not face punishment in part due to an exceptional international disciplinary record — the Al Nassr star had never been sent off in a Portugal shirt.

Ronaldo has, however, been sent off 12 times in his club career: four for Manchester United, six for Real Madrid, one for Juventus, and — most recently — in his 2023-24 season in Saudi Arabia.

- Nicholas Mendola

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BELGIUM LOSS TEDESCO BRISTLES AT 'GOLDEN GENERATION' TAG

ANTON NOVODEREZHKIN/TASS

 After more than 25 minutes of questions to Belgium captain Kevin De Bruyne and coach Domenico Tedesco on Sunday, the dreaded words "Golden Generation" had not yet been heard.

And then it happened -- with the very last question, to Tedesco, on the eve of his team's opening European Championship game against Slovakia.

"It's a typical German question about the Golden Generation," quipped Tedesco, who is Italian-born though a German citizen. "I was expecting that one."

One day, Belgium coaches and players will not be pulled back to the gilded crop of prospects who seemed sure to one day win an international title, and possibly should have at Euro 2016.

It's been a label, and a millstone, for Belgium since the 2008 Beijing Olympics where an emerging squad included Vincent Kompany, Marouane Fellaini and Jan Vertonghen.

De Bruyne and Eden Hazard were maturing in the team that reached the 2014 World Cup quarterfinals. The Red Devils were stunned at the same stage of Euro 2016 by Wales despite extra established stars Thibaut Courtois in goal and Romelu Lukaku in attack.

Marc Wilmots left as coach and was replaced by Roberto Martinez, who is now at Euro 2024 with Portugal.

There were eliminations as the world's top-ranked team by eventual champions: in the 2018 World Cup semifinals against France, and a Euro 2020 quarterfinal match to Italy.

Then another stunner, failing to advance from the 2022 World Cup group stage in Qatar, albeit because eventual semifinalists Croatia and Morocco did.

"Qatar is over now. It was a disappointment, yes, but it was 18 months ago," De Bruyne said Sunday ahead of the playmaker's third attempt to win a European title. "It is a new tournament, a new coach. The team has changed quite a lot."

Since the World Cup, veterans like Hazard, Dries Mertens and Toby Alderweireld have retired from the national team. Courtois fell out with Tedesco and is not in Germany.

De Bruyne is still here with Vertonghen (37), Lukaku (31) and Axel Witsel (35). Another Manchester City star, winger Jérémy Doku, is already at his third major tournament at 22 and much is expected from 21-year-old Johan Bakayoko on the right flank.

Belgium are still ranked No. 3 by FIFA.

"I wouldn't say our squad is third in the world right now but in a tournament it doesn't even matter," said De Bruyne, whose 33rd birthday falls between the round of 16 and the quarterfinals.

"There are a lot of young players in the team and they're really motivated," De Bruyne said, whose team is strongly favored in Group E that also includes Ukraine and Romania.

The 38-year-old Tedesco, leading Belgium at a tournament for the first time, acknowledged there was a squad overhaul.

"There is huge quality among the young prospects, who are already ready for this stage," Tedesco said.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.

- ESPN News Services

CRISTIANO RONALDO: PLAYING EURO 2024 AGED 39 'A GIFT'

Cristiano Ronaldo will represent Portugal at a record-extending sixth European Championship. Pedro Loureiro/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

 Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has called the national team "the love of his life" and considers it "a gift" to still be playing at the highest level aged 39.

Ronaldo warmed up for his record-extending sixth European Championship by scoring twice in Tuesday's 3-0 triumph over the Republic of Ireland to increase his international men's record goal tally to 130.

"I know I don't have many years of football left," Ronaldo said. "It's a gift to play year after year, after 35. I'm 39 and every year is about enjoying [myself]. To score for the national team is special. The national team is the love of my life, winning the Euros would be a dream."

The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star has represented Portugal since 2003 and lifted the European Championship in 2016.

"For me, playing for the national team is a passion, a love," he said. "Any game is special, a European Championship is special, it will be my sixth, which is also a record.

"Playing in 2004, when I made my [European Championship] debut, or playing today, the feeling is always of pride and passion. It doesn't get any better than this."

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez recently described Ronaldo as "unique."

Despite missing out on silverware this season, Ronaldo scored a Saudi Pro League record 35 goals for Al Nassr in his first full campaign at the club.

"The most important thing is that I am well physically and psychologically," Ronaldo said. "I am prepared, I always prepare in the best way, I am 100% professional. I will be ready as always to help our country [at the Euros] and respect the coach's decisions."

Ronaldo did not start in Portugal's last two games at the 2022 World Cup, including their 1-0 defeat to Morocco in the quarterfinals.

The benching, according to then Portugal coach Fernando Santos, was not well received by the player.

Portugal, now under Martinez, are among the favourites to win Euro 2024.

Asked if they can replicate the feat of 2016, Ronaldo said: "The thought has to be that, be positive, take it step by step. Dreaming is free and this team has the talent to dream. Nothing can be achieved without work, we have to work and fight.

"We need to take advantage of this generation of talent to do something beautiful at the European Championship. But I repeat again: talent is not enough. We have to work. We want to start the European Championship in the best possible way."

Portugal kick off their Group F campaign against Czechia on June 18. They also play Turkey and debutants Georgia in the first stage.

- Adriana Garcia

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