Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Dublin ended in controversy after he was sent off in Portugal's World Cup qualifier defeat to the Republic of Ireland at the Aviva Stadium. The 40-year-old had joked before the game that he would "try to be a good boy" to avoid aggravating Irish supporters, but a clash in the penalty area on the hour left him walking off to boos.
With Portugal 2-0 down following Troy Parrott's first-half brace, Ronaldo and Irish defender Dara O'Shea tangled as Ronaldo waited for a cross. While jostling for position, Ronaldo appeared to push his arm or elbow into O'Shea's back, sending the Ipswich centre-half to the ground and prompting an angry reaction from the home side.
Referee Glenn Nyberg originally issued a yellow card, but after the video assistant referee advised a pitch-side review, Nyberg upgraded the decision to a straight red. Ronaldo, clearly furious, sarcastically applauded sections of the crowd and exchanged words with Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson as he left the field.
Hallgrimsson, who had earlier urged referees not to be influenced by the five-time Ballon d'Or winner and had suggested in the past that Ronaldo had "controlled the r
