Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off with Portugal 2-0 down to Republic of Ireland in Dublin after a moment of madness, swinging an elbow into the direction of Dara O'Shea.
VAR intervened after the moment of madness from the 40-year-old, who appeared to hit the defender with an elbow in the back.
The Al-Nassr forward was initially booked by referee Glenn Nyberg before VAR told the official to take another look via the pitchside monitor.
The Swedish ref quickly changed his mind after witnessing the incident again, changing his yellow card to a red one.
Cristiano Ronaldo reacted furiously after being sent off
|PA
That decision infuriated Ronaldo, who sarcastically applauded the decision by clapping his hands above his head.
Prior to the red card being shown, the ex-Manchester United star also made a fake crying motion to fans, who had booed him throughout the contest.
As a parting gift as he eventually went down the tunnel, Ronaldo gave a thumbs-up as fans waved him off at the Aviva Stadium.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's absence will be keenly felt when Portugal face Armenia in their final Group F qualifier.
Armenia currently occupy the bottom position in the group, making this a vital fixture for the Portuguese side.
Cristiano Ronaldo made a final gesture to fans as he descended down the tunnel
|REUTERS
The timing could hardly be worse for Portugal, who must now navigate this crucial encounter without their talismanic forward.
The ramifications of this red card could prove even more damaging, with the possibility that his ban might carry over into Portugal's opening World Cup fixture.
Such an outcome would deprive the national team of their record goalscorer at the tournament's crucial early stages.
Following the veteran striker's march down the tunnel, tactical adjustments were swiftly implemented.
AC Milan's Rafael Leao and Sporting CP's Francisco Trincao were introduced to the match, replacing Joao Felix and Manchester City's Bernardo Silva respectively.
Republic of Ireland went on to secure a famous win in Dublin over Portugal, with Troy Parrott's double enough to down Roberto Martinez's men.
🚨 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS! 🌍
— Polymarket FC (@PolymarketFC) November 13, 2025
RED CARD FOR CRISTIANO RONALDO! 🟥
🇮🇪 Ireland 2-0 Portugal 🇵🇹
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It gives the Irish a fighting chance of qualifying from their group, sitting a point behind second-placed Hungary.
Heimir Hallgrimsson's side take on Hungary next in Budapest in a straight shootout for qualification for the World Cup next year in USA, Canada and Mexico.