Ronaldo's nightmare against the Republic of Ireland as Portugal loses

In the FIFA World Cup European qualifiers, Portugal faced the Republic of Ireland and lost with a final score of 2-0.

The Group C toppers, Portugal, were stunned by the Irish side led by Nathan Collins.

The Republic of Ireland scored both goals in the first half, with striker Troy Parrott netting twice. While the Irish number seven was having one of his best nights, the number seven on the other side, the greatest number seven- was having one of his worst.

Ronaldo sees his first international red card

Cristiano Ronaldo has been working extremely hard to stay fit and in shape for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be his last major international tournament. However, Ronaldo was shown a red card for an elbow to the back of Dara O'Shea in the 61st minute. The card was initially yellow but was later upgraded to red after a VAR review. Cristiano might be facing a two-match ban and could miss the final qualification game against Armenia. Some sources even suggest he may miss the opening game of the FIFA World Cup if the ban is extended. The last serious match CR7 didn’t start was the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Morocco, which Portugal lost.

Ronaldo’s pre-game press conference

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was excited to play at Dublin's Aviva Stadium and spoke about the tough competition posed by the Irish side. The last time Cristiano Ronaldo faced the Republic of Ireland, in October, he missed a penalty against Caoimhin Kelleher, but Portugal were rescued by Rúben Neves’ stoppage-time winner.

Lineups

Republic of Ireland

GK – 1. C. Kelleher

CB – 4. D. O’Shea, 22. N. Collins (C), 5. J. O’Brien

LB – 3. L. Scales

RB – 2. S. Coleman

CM – 11. F. Azaz, 8. J. Taylor, 6. J. Cullen

CF – 7. T. Parrott, 20. C. Ogbene

Portugal

GK – 1. D. Costa

CB – 3. R. Dias, 14. G. Inácio

RB – 20. J. Cancelo

LB – 5. D. Dalot

CM – 23. Vitinha, 21. R. Neves, 15. J. Neves

RWF – 10. B. Silva

LWF – 11. J. Félix

CF – 7. C. Ronaldo

Troy Parrott: The Irish Hero

Troy Parrott is having the form of his life, the ex Tottenham striker scored a brace and became the difference between the two sides and the team can now compete for the second place towards qualification for the upcoming World Cup and registerd another famous win. The game against Hungary would seem more approachable and will boost the confidence of the whole nation.

Troy Parrott is already on 6 goals in 7 games in the Eredivisie thus keeping the AZ Alkmaar on the third spot in the league. Though he was out for few weeks and his performance was in question, he shattered all the questions with his flaming form and showing a strong mindset with confidence on the pitch.