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17 June 2026; Ghana goalkeeper Joseph Anang before the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group L match between Ghana and Panama at Toronto Stadium in Ontario, Canada. Photo by Curtis Wong/Sportsfile
FIFA let Ronaldo off the hook last November, Martinez should have given him the hook on Wednesday
Cathal Dervan, Editor
You’ll remember well the night an Ireland fan told Cristiano Ronaldo to cry his eyes out live on RTE as the Portuguese legend made his way to the Aviva Stadium dressing room after the first red card of his international career last November.
Ronaldo, then just 40 and playing in his 225th game for his country, was sent-off for an elbow into the back of Dara O’Shea in a game when Troy Parrott announced his intentions to come with both the goals in a brilliant 2-0 win for Ireland.
Little went right for Ronaldo and Portugal that night, Roberto Martinez’s side stung by the aggressive front foot approach from an Irish team in the World Cup’s last chance saloon.
And things went from bad to worse when Ronaldo saw red in the 59th minute as his side struggled to counteract those two first-half goals from the Troy wonder.
Many observers that night felt the referee did Martinez a favour when he sent a disbelieving Ronaldo for an early bath and the RTE cameras caught one fan mimicking the great one crying his eyes out.
A red card of that nature carries a three game suspension and sure enough, Ronaldo sat out the next match when Portugal confirmed World Cup qualification with a 9-1 hammering of Armenia and a display of quite brilliant attacking football - without their talisman.
Therein lies the clue. As the world awaited a three match ban for Ronaldo so FIFA took the laws of the game into their own hands, not the first time they have bent the rules to protect big stars and, more importantly I suspect, commercial opportunities.
Thus they took us all by surprise (sort of) on November 25th when they announced that Ronaldo would serve a three match ban but the final two games of the suspension would be suspended for a year, freeing him up to play in the United States.
It was quite a preposterous decision, based apparently on the fact that he had never been sent off previously in any of his 224 international appearances before Dublin.
Here’s what the Fifa statement said: “If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension set out in the disciplinary decision shall be deemed automatically revoked and the remaining two matches must be served immediately.”
We were amazed at that statement but Roberto Martinez must have been disgusted. Throughout his time with Portugal, which will end after this tournament, Martinez has never shown any inclination to take a hard line with Ronaldo and drop him from the team or the squad.
He’s been slow to take him off in games as well although, to be fair, Ronaldo can turn it on in an instant as Stephen Kenny fans will tell you.
There was never any suggestion on Wednesday night that Ronaldo would turn it on, never mind turn the game around for Portugal yet he was still on the pitch at the final whistle, trudging down the tunnel with barely a glance at his team-mates or their opponents never mind a hand shake.
That reaction and his poor performance has prompted another debate on Ronaldo’s role as a World Cup untouchable.
Tony Cascarino, live on Talksport, even claimed Martinez is afraid to leave Ronaldo out of a game yet alone his team.
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Cas would know what it feels like when a manager makes a hard World Cup decision by the way. He made way for Niall Quinn for the 1990 game against Holland and Niall scored the goal that sent Jack Charlton’s team into the second phase and justified the decision to drop him. So his opinion counts here.
And we all have to wonder what disservice FIFA did to Martinez now when they suspended the Ronaldo suspension for a year. They did warn that any misdemeanour would see the full suspension reimposed with immediate effect - does being crap count as a misdemeanour?
It should when you’re old and past it, even if your name is Ronaldo. Martinez must be glad it won’t be his problem anymore when this World Cup ends.
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The key stories developing today
Robbie Keane has revealed he lasted 10 minutes more than Mick McCarthy watching the movie Saipan and has branded it as rubbish.
In Los Angeles for the World Cup, Keane told the Rio Ferdinand podcast that he only watched 20 minutes of the Steve Coogan movie before leaving the cinema.
McCarthy walked out of a London screening of the movie about the 2002 World Cup row after just 10 minutes and Keane stayed for just 10 minutes more when he went to see it.
Now he has urged Ireland fans not to bother with the movie, available online after a cinema run earlier this year.
“Whatever you do, don’t watch the movie Saipan and think that’s what happened. It’s absolutely a load of crap. I watched 20 minutes and I walked out. Just make sure, clear that,” said Keane, as reported by Balls.ie.
“Myself and Damien Duff played at a high level, we were more professional than anyone. That movie doesn’t give that to the players, all the players.
“It was two minutes, 90 seconds maybe, that Roy and Mick went back at each other, and that was it, Roy left. That was all that happened.
“I’ve been in dressing rooms where players argue with the manager, it happens all the time. I would just say, both of them, I’m sure they’re sick of it after 24 years. They’re still talking about it every time the World Cup comes up. Come on, let’s move on from this.
“I don’t even think there was a sauna in the hotel, there was a scene in the steam room. It also takes away from how well we did in the tournament.”
Keane added: “Me and Damien Duff were kids! We didn’t know what was going on.
“Me and Duffer, a lot of young lads in the squad, we were just ecstatic to be there at the World Cup. Of course, this happened. I still can’t believe that that Saipan thing is going on after 24 years.”
Former Ireland striker Tony Cascarino has hit out at Portugal striker Ronaldo and his manager Roberto Martinez after the legend’s poor showing against DC Congo in Wednesday’s World Cup opener.
Ronaldo has been roundly criticised for his poor performance as Portugal struggled against the African side in the 1-1 draw while Cascarino has rounded on Martinez for lacking the bottle to take the 41-year-old off.
Speaking live on talkSPORT 2’s coverage, Cas said: “I’m trying to be as kind as I can… but he [Ronaldo] was really off it. And he just looks like time has caught up with him.
“He hasn’t got the pace. He’s not even got the energy to pick up the ball. I remember Ronaldo as that winger that just got the ball and drove at people. Ok, he’s aged, he’s not that type of player anymore, but he offered nothing to the Portuguese team.
“I can’t believe Martinez has kept him on. I’m thinking, ‘This is your job - does he just want to keep friends with Ronaldo? Do you want to stay on his side?’
“You’ve got to take people off. If that’s the decision that improves the team and gives the best chance of winning, you’ve got to make it as a manager.
“And I know he’s going to leave at the end of this term. This felt like it is a manager just going, ‘I’m gonna stay pals with my mate Ronaldo’.”
The American authorities have sorted a World Cup visa for the mother Cape Verde hero Vozinha who will now be in the stands when they face Uruguay in Miami on Sunday.
Vozinha was in tears after his outstanding performance against Spain in the scoreless draw when he revealed his mum couldn’t afford the price of the visa and the flights to America for his World Cup bow.
But now mum Ana Evora has confirmed to the BBC that she will attend Sunday’s game. “I’m very happy,” she said.
“This is happening so fast, but I’m quite happy anyway. I’m going to see my son playing in the World Cup, God willing. I’m going there to support him, to give him strength and courage. I’m going to give him a hug after the game.”
Shane Long has spoken of his regret at not reaching 100 caps for Ireland after retiring in 2021 with 88 appearances for his country.
Speaking at a Movember launch, Long told the Irish Mirror: “It would have been amazing to get to the 100 caps, but I suppose I’m getting greedy now …to get 88 caps is amazing, but yeah, it would have been nice to get that 100.
“You ask any players if there are any moments they’d like to get back to it. There is. One-on-one chances I’d missed, or penalties or taps in or whatever, but that’s part of football, that’s part of me growing as a player and learning.
“But yeah, if I could change one thing, it would be to get to that hundred caps.”
Irish midfielder Connor Ronan has swapped Denver for Aberdeen and signed for the Scottish Premier League side after three years in the MLS with the Colorado Rapids according to the Irish Sun.
Former Irish under 21 winger Ronan said: “Aberdeen is a huge football club with big ambitions and that’s difficult to turn down. I want to be part of helping the Club compete at the top end of the table, return to Europe and challenge for trophies.”
