The exposition made by the Portuguese Football Federation to FIFA arguing against a potential three-match for Cristiano Ronaldo, ruling him out of the Seleção’s opening matches of the 2026 World Cup, has been successful.
Ronaldo was sent off for elbowing Ireland defender Dara O’Shea in the back during Portugal’s 2-0 defeat in Dublin, an offence that normally carries a three-match ban.
The Portugal captain served the first match of the suspension by missing the last qualifier against Armenia, and today FIFA announced that the remaining two-match suspension has been put on hold.
The fact it was the first time Ronaldo has been sent off in 226 international matches no doubt weighed in the decision made by football’s world governing body.
FIFA statement:
“In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the serving of the two remaining matches has been suspended under a one-year probation period. 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 at the next official match(es) of the Portuguese representative team.”
Ronaldo scored 5 goals in 5 matches as Portugal won Group F to qualify for their seventh consecutive World Cup.
The 48-team tournament will be hosted in USA, Mexico and Canada and Portugal will find out their group opponents when the draw takes place in little over a week on 5 December.
Portugal are through to the 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup final following a nail biting penalty shootout victory over Brazil.
Chances were few and far between in a semi-final that focused on physicality and fouls over free flowing football.
Romário Cunha saved an effort from Dell, the Brazilian striker sending a follow up effort towards goal where Martim Chelmik cleared the ball off the line.
João Aragão created Portugal’s best opportunity in the closing stages but Anísio Cabral couldn’t make it count.
The contest was decided by a penalty shootout where the first eight spot kicks found the net. Romário Cunha fired Portugal’s fifth effort over the bar but the goalkeeper was spared when Ruan Pablo hit the post.
The next three penalties were converted before Angelo Candido stepped up, the young right-back sending his effort over the bar.
Portugal 0-0 Brazil
Anísio Cabral headed Duarte Cunha's cross wide early on before the striker saw a presentable chance blocked. Zé Lucas volleyed narrowly over the bar as the Brazilian’s got into the game.
Dell was unable to get a shot away due to pressure from José Neto but the striker would soon get his chance following some hesitation from Mauro Furtado. He was denied by Romário Cunha before steering the follow up effort on target, Martim Chelmik clearing the ball off the line.
Mateus Mide’s shot was deflected wide by Luccas Ramon, Bino Maçães wasting a video support review with replays clearly showing the ball hit the centre-back in the chest.
Referee Vassilis Fotias had let a lot go before booking Zé Lucas who went in too hard on Bernardo Lima. The second half started with more physicality, Rafael Quintas slipping over and colliding with Kayke Ayrton, the Portuguese midfielder requiring treatment before receiving a harsh yellow card.
Quintas deflected Felipe Morais’ effort wide but Portugal’s captain couldn’t continue, making way for Santiago Verdi and Yoan Pereira replacing Steven Manuel.
Mide saw another shot blocked by Luccas Ramon the game was continually being slowed down by fouls. Cabral’s battle against Brazil’s centre-backs continued, the striker booked for a late shot on Vitão.
Verdi fired wide before Luis Pacheco mistimed his challenge on Duarte Cunha. It was missed by the officials so Bino used another review, Fotias watching replays and booking the left-back.
Cunha was unable to shake off the knock and made way for João Aragão. Dudu Patetuci made his first substitution in the 74th minute when Gabriel Mec replaced Kayke Ayrton.
Aragão did well to spin, break clear and present a chance for Cabral, he was caught in two minds and wasted the opportunity with a cross that sailed out of play.
Bino emptied his bench with Zeega and Tomás Soares introduced for Mateus Mide and Cabral. The intensity increased as Zé Lucas went close with a difficult volley, but there would be no goals and the contest went straight to a penalty shootout.
Penalty shootout
The first eight penalties were converted before Romário Cunha stepped up and blazed over the bar. Ruan Pablo had the chance to send Brazil into the final but hit the post, the next three penalties scored by Aragão, Mec and José Neto.
There had to be one player who would eventually miss to send his country home, right-back Angelo Candido sending his spot kick over the bar which saw Portugal reach their first U17 World Cup final.
Bino Maçães' side will take on Austria in the showpiece in Qatar, the final to be played at Khalifa International Stadium at 16:00 GMT on Tursday 27 November.
Line Up
Portugal (4-2-3-1) Romário Cunha; Daniel Banjaqui, Martim Chelmik, Mauro Furtado, José Neto; Rafael Quintas (Santiago Verdi 57’), Bernardo Lima; Duarte Cunha (João Aragão 69’), Mateus Mide (Martim “Zeega” Guedes 80’), Stevan Manuel (Yoan Pereira 57’); Anísio Cabral (Tomás Soares 80’)
Unused substitutes: Alexandre Tverdohlebov, David Rodrigues, Ricardo Neto, Gabriel Dbouk, Miguel Figueiredo
Coach: Bino Maçães
Brazil (4-2-3-1) João Pedro; Angelo Candido, Vitão, Luccas Ramon, Luis Pacheco; Tiaguinho, Zé Lucas; Ruan Pablo, Felipe Morais (Pietro Tavares 84’), Kayke Ayrton (Gabriel Mec 74’); Dell
Unused substitutes: Arthur Jampa, Lucas Andrade, Derick, Vinícius Rocha, Andrey Fernandes
Mateus Mide (No10) is congratulated by Stevan Manuel and José Neto after giving Portugal the lead. (Photo: FPF)
Portugal’s U17 team gave another demonstration that they are a special generation this afternoon, dominating their World Cup quarter-final against Switzerland from start to finish and running out 2-0 winners.
Bino Maçães led his team to triumph in the European Championship earlier this year in Albania, and the way Portugal’s kids are playing in Qatar, he must be hopeful they can land an even bigger prize.
Goals either side of half time by Mateus Mide and José Neto booked a semi-final date for the Seleção on Monday, against Brazil.
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Portugal quickly take control
Left-back José Neto sent a shot fizzing past the post in the opening exchanges, but the first twenty minutes were cagey with both teams feeling each other out.
Midway through the first half the hard-working Anísio Cabral did well to make room for himself and try and add to his tournament-leading six goals, but Noah Brogli dived to his right to make the save.
The near miss proved the trigger for Portugal, who got well on top and began piercing the Swiss defence with well-worked moves and incisive passing, with Mateus Mide orchestrating play superbly in the middle of the pitch.
Stevan Manuel fluffed a great chance to open the scoring in the 24th minute by lifting his shot over the bar when well set up by Daniel Banjaqui.
Mide had a goal-bound shot deflected for a corner and Steven Manuel again went close, his shot deflected just past the post.
The chances kept coming, Bernardo Lima heading over from a promising position at a corner.
In the 41st minute Portugal got the breakthrough they deserved, with three of their best players involved. Banjaqui hit a peach of a long pass over the defence to Anísio, the striker doing well to hold up the ball for the onrushing Mateus Mide to shoot home from close range.
Portugal were good value for their lead at the break, and things soon got better for Bino’s boys.
After a brief spell of pressure from the Swiss upon the restart, Portugal broke up field, a sweeping move setting up a chance for Bernardo Lima who missed his shot with an air kick.
But a second wave saw the ball fall at the feet of José Neto, and with Switzerland’s defenders standing off him he needed no second invitation to smack a powerful left-footed shot into the top corner of the net giving Brogli no chance of making a save.
There was still plenty of time left, but Switzerland never truly looked capable of getting back into the match. Or perhaps it is more correct to say Portugal never gave them a chance to do so. This is a talented set of individuals for sure, but it is the way the team plays as a unit and their composure that explains the success they have enjoyed over the last few months.
Indeed, the only person in the Portugal delegation who seemed to let his nerves get the better of him at times was head coach Bino Maçães.
Apart from one occasion when the skilful Mladen Mijailovic worked his way into the box and forced a sharp save out of Romário Cunha, Switzerland never looked likely to re-enter the game.
It needed an outstanding diving save by Noah Brogli to prevent Portugal from increasing their lead, the goalkeeper athletically tipping over a long-range shot by Tomás Soares.
With no players suspended for the semi-final, when all yellow cards are reset to zero, Portugal will feel confident their journey in the tournament is far from over.
Bino Maçães quotes
“The players’ work has been fantastic, believing in our process and keeping our ideas intact. Defensively, it was important that we closed down the spaces; Switzerland has good principles. We were very good, even in the final part when they launched more balls, we never gave up our game plan and that was fundamental. All credit to the players and congratulations to them, it has been a great performance so far.
“The issue of yellow cards was important; the players performed well. They were aggressive nonetheless, which shows their maturity, and congratulations on that. We can count on that, it’s important. Now it’s time to rest; we felt many players were at their limit. More than training, it’s about recovery and preparing the players for the semi-final.
“Any opponent will be difficult. It’s true that we beat Morocco 6-0, but we know their strength. We knew they would go far. Three teams from our group reaching the top eight says a lot about how difficult our group was and validates our performance.”
Portugal players celebrate making the semi-finals of the 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup (Photo: FPF)
Portugal: Romário Cunha, Daniel Banjaqui (Gabriel Dbouk, 64’), Martim Chelmik, Mauro Furtado, José Neto, Rafael Quintas (Zeega, 83’), Mateus Mide (Tomás Soares, 64’), Bernardo Lima (Santiago Verdi, 74’), Duarte Cunha (João Aragão, 75’), Anísio Cabral, Stevan Manuel
Unused substitutes: Alexandre Tverdohlebov, David Rodrigues, Ricardo Neto, Miguel Figueiredo, Yoan Pereira
Brazilian icon Zico says Cristiano Ronaldo would be the ideal footballer to use as a reference for a young player starting their career, as he praised the Portugal captain for his success.
Zico was widely regarded as one of the best players in the world during his prime from the late 1970s into the mid-1980s, while he also maintains a legacy as one of the greatest free-kick takers of all time. The former Flamengo and Udinese playmaker was speaking on a Brazilian platform on Tuesday when the subject of Ronaldo was raised.
Asked by the presenter if Ronaldo shows a lack of humility when he claims to be the best in history, Zico was emphatic in answering. “No, he has to say it, people talk like he’s just a goal scorer, he didn’t receive the gift of some other players, but he became the best through his dedication. He’s 40 years old running more than a lot of people.
“I hope he scores two thousand goals! He doesn’t get injured, he’s never out, he doesn’t stop training, he doesn’t go out at night. If I were starting my career, he would be my reference.
“I regret that I still haven’t met him in person. One day I hope to meet him to give him a hug and congratulate him on his story.”
Zico, who is famously of Portuguese background through his Tondela-born father and a subsequent admirer of Sporting Clube de Portugal, is Brazil’s 5th-highest scorer of all time with an impressive 48 goals - despite not being a striker. Intriguingly, he is also a distant relative of current Sporting and Portugal defender Eduardo Quaresma, with whom he shares the name Coimbra.
Portugal maintained their three-point lead at the top of Group B in the 2027 UEFA European U21 Championship qualifiers following a hard fought 0-0 draw in the Czech Republic.
Youssef Chermiti headed Rodrigo Mora’s corner off the bar at the freezing cold Malsovicka Arena in Hradec Kralove, Czechia going close after the break when Lukás Masek couldn’t direct Alexandr Buzek's cross on target.
Luís Freire’s side went desperately close in the 62nd minute when Roger Fernandes’ shot was deflected over the bar. Afonso Moreira came off the bench and should have scored within 60 seconds of being introduced, volleying Roger's cross over from point-blank range.
The final chance fell for the hosts, Tom Slončik’s cross finding Dominik Pech who was denied by João Carvalho.
Portugal remain in a strong position to top Group B with five games to play. They have scored 21 goals with none conceded, the final qualifier coming at home against Czechia on 6 October 2026.
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Chances for Chermiti
Mateus Fernandes saw his shot deflected over the bar early on before two efforts from Matyás Vojta lacked enough power to trouble João Carvalho.
Martim Fernandes’ dangerous cross won a corner that was swung in by Rodrigo Mora, Youssef Chermiti rising high and heading the ball off the bar.
Mora broke clear and provided another chance for Chermiti that he dragged wide, the striker then unable to latch onto a through ball provided by Mathias de Amorim.
Mora fired wide before Roger Fernandes released Tiago Parente, the left-back getting to the byline and finding Chermiti who fired a weak shot at Jan Koutný.
Half time: Czechia 0-0 Portugal
Lukás Masek was fortunate to escape punishment after lashing out at Tiago Gabriel who picked up an unlucky booking early in the second half.
Czechia’s best chance came in the 54th minute when Alexandr Buzek’s cross picked out Masek, the winger volleying the ball into the ground and over the bar.
Luís Freire brought on João Rego and Gustavo Varela for Mora and Chermiti who revealed heavy strapping on his left thigh.
Portugal went desperately close in the 62nd minute when Geovany Quenda found Parente in the box, he did well to tee up Roger Fernandes who saw his goalbound shot deflect over the bar.
Sub Moreira has instant impact
Martim Fernandes couldn’t keep Parente’s cross down before the defender and Quenda made way for Diogo Travassos and Afonso Moreira. The in-form Moreira should have scored immediately after being introduced, getting onto the end of Roger’s cross and volleying over from point-blank range.
Moreira cut inside and unleashed a shot that went narrowly wide, Freire’s final substitution seeing the impressive Parente replaced by Francisco Chissumba.
Portugal dodged a big bullet in the final minute of added time when two substitutes combined, Tom Slončik’s cross falling perfectly for Dominik Pech who produced a fine save from Carvalho. The corner came to nothing and the referee blew the final whistle.
Seleção well placed to qualify
Despite dropping their first points of the campaign, Portugal remain top of the group are in a strong position to stay there and qualify automatically for the 2027 UEFA European U21 Championship, to be staged in Albania and Serbia.
At the halfway stage Portugal are in first place in Group B, three points clear of closest rivals Czechia and Scotland having played both nations away. The Scots have played one game more than the Seleção.
Portugal are through to the 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup final following a nail biting penalty shootout victory over Brazil.
Mateus Mide’s shot was deflected wide by Luccas Ramon, Bino Maçães wasting a video support review with replays clearly showing the ball hit the centre-back in the chest.
Brazilian icon Zico says Cristiano Ronaldo would be the ideal footballer to use as a reference for a young player starting their career, as he praised the Portugal captain for his success.
