Portugal regrets losing to Ireland, Cristiano Ronaldo ruins his chance to qualify early

In the focus match of Group F in the European Zone of the World Cup on November 14, 2025, the ten-man Portugal lost 0-2 away to Ireland and suffered its first defeat in the group stage. This defeat not only prevented the Five Shields team from qualifying early, but also caused huge controversy because of Ronaldo's first national team red card in his career.

The game started with a strong smell of gunpowder, and Ireland, sitting at home, showed strong fighting spirit. In the 18th minute, Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa misjudged the placement of a corner kick. Skiles then nodded the ball and assisted Parrott to open the scoring. This conceding goal exposed the concentration problem of Portugal's defense. Costa's mistake directly caused the team to fall into passivity.

In the stoppage time of the first half, O'Shea penetrated the defense with a precise long pass. After receiving the ball, Parrott dunked the defender and fired a low shot into the near corner. The Irish striker who scored twice became the most dazzling star on the field, while Portugal's proud defense seemed torn apart in the face of the opponent's concise and efficient counterattack.

After the change of sides, the dramatic scene reached its climax in the 61st minute. Cristiano Ronaldo had physical contact with O'Shea while jockeying for position in the penalty area, and the referee initially only issued a yellow card. But after VAR intervened, replays clearly showed Ronaldo's retaliatory action of elbowing his opponent's neck. The result of the reversal of the decision made the 40-year-old veteran's national team appearance record fixed at 226 games. The humiliating moment of being red for the first time in his career triggered a tsunami of boos at the Aviva Stadium.

Portugal, with one less player to play, completely lost hope of a comeback. Vitinha's missed single opportunity became the epitome of the team's weak offense. When the final whistle blew, the score of 0-2 handed the Five Shields their first defeat in this World Cup qualifying tournament, and their lead in the standings was reduced to 3 points. Ireland jumped to third place in the group with this victory, retaining hope of qualifying.

This defeat exposed multiple hidden dangers in Portugal: fluctuations in the goalkeeper position, weak defense of high-altitude balls, and loss of emotional management of core players. Cristiano Ronaldo's red card leaving the field not only caused the team's tactical collapse, but his thumbs up to mock the referee after the game also aroused controversy in public opinion. Taking into account the suspension penalty against Luxembourg in the next round, this is likely to be the farewell game of the legendary No. 7 in the World Cup preliminaries.

Although Portugal still has the initiative to qualify, Portugal's path to promotion has been cast a shadow. Coach Santos needs to solve the imbalance problem at both ends of the offense and defense in the remaining games, while also dealing with the tactical innovation challenges brought about by the aging core. For the five-shield team that aims to hit the World Cup, this defeat is like a wake-up call, reminding them that any neglect of details on the football field may pay a heavy price.