Bruno Fernandes, the midfielder for Manchester United and the Portuguese national team, has commented on the sending off of his teammate and captain of “The Sailors,” Cristiano Ronaldo, ahead of their match against Armenia in the final round of the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
It is worth mentioning that Ronaldo received a straight red card during the match against the Republic of Ireland, which ended in a 2-0 victory for the latter.
Regarding this incident, Bruno stated in the pre-match press conference for the Armenia game, which will be held tomorrow, Sunday: “Ronaldo’s sending off cost us a lot… Something you learn that you didn’t want to do, but it happened.”
He added: “He knows he made a mistake, and unfortunately, he won’t be able to help us tomorrow… We were behind in the game against Ireland, and things became more difficult after the sending off. We didn’t have a player who could score goals at any moment like him.”
He also added: “The game didn’t go as we wanted, and we weren’t as decisive in front of the goal as we hoped… We created few chances, and our performance was weak and slow… We needed to be more decisive and faster… These things happen, and they are part of football.”
He affirmed: “We want to win the World Cup; we have never hidden that… The dream of any Portuguese is for Portugal to lift the World Cup, as we did in the 2016 European Championship… This dream will remain in our minds, but we must win the matches starting tomorrow… Qualifying for the World Cup will be a result of winning tomorrow… The most important thing is to win the match and not think about anything in the future.”
Portugal tops its group with 10 points, while Hungary is second with 8 points, followed by Ireland with 7 points, and finally Armenia with 3 points.
The First Sending Off
The match between Ireland and Portugal, which took place last Thursday as part of the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, witnessed an exceptional event in the career of Cristiano Ronaldo, the star of Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia.
The captain of the Portuguese national team started the match in the starting lineup, but he was unable to help his team score any goals, as the opponent took the lead in the first half with two goals to nil.
In the 59th minute, Ronaldo struck Irish defender Dara O’Shea in the back with his elbow off the ball, causing the latter to fall to the ground, and the referee awarded a free kick, giving “El Don” a yellow card.
However, the video assistant referee indicated the possibility of changing the decision and sending the player off directly, which prompted the referee to review the footage himself.
Indeed, the referee returned to the pitch to cancel the yellow card and show the red card to the 40-year-old player, leaving his team struggling with a numerical disadvantage, while they were behind with a score of (0-2).
The “Opta” statistics network clarified that this sending off is Ronaldo’s first in his international career with Portugal, in his 226th match with his national team.
A Card That Taints a Disciplined Career
Cristiano Ronaldo is considered one of the most prominent players in the history of international football, and his distinction is not limited to his record-breaking goals with the Portuguese national team but also extends to his remarkable discipline on the field, despite his long career and numerous appearances.
Ronaldo, who has played 225 previous international matches with Seleção Europeia, has an exceptional disciplinary record that we rarely see in an offensive player with such presence and constant contact with the opponents’ defenses.
The Portuguese star has received only 32 yellow cards throughout these appearances, a number that reflects the nature of his play, which relies more on skill and speed than on violent physical lunges.
More interestingly, Ronaldo had not received any red cards throughout his career with the national team before the Ireland match, which is rare for a player who is constantly in the sensitive areas of the field and is subjected to close marking and repeated provocations.
The presence of a player of Ronaldo’s stature always means clashes and interventions from defenders and difficult refereeing decisions, yet he has maintained his emotional balance in most situations, which has helped him continue for as long as possible without penalties affecting his presence with the team.
The yellow cards that Ronaldo has received have varied across different tournaments, whether in World Cup qualifiers, Euro qualifiers, or major tournament finals such as the European Championship and the UEFA Nations League.
Despite playing many crucial matches, his discipline has been evident in most cases, despite the numerous attempts to provoke him by defenders and fans.
A Positive Record
The warning record also shows that Ronaldo has been a tactically disciplined player, knowing when to intervene and when to stay away from tension, which is unusual for top-tier stars who bear the pressure of the media, fans, and opponents.
This balance has helped him continue his international career until advanced years, without his participation being threatened by suspensions or sending offs, before he got involved in a rare sending off tonight at the age of 40.
For the Portuguese national team, Ronaldo’s commitment has been an additional weapon, as it has always ensured the presence of their historical goalscorer and most prominent icon in most major matches, without absences resulting from disciplinary decisions. Thus, Ronaldo’s international legacy is not only in goals and championships but also in the high professionalism that has maintained his stability within the national squad for more than two decades.
Thus, Ronaldo’s disciplinary career with Portugal stands out as an essential part of his greatness, confirming that the legend is not made by goals alone but also by behavior on the field.
