Cristiano Ronaldo gets first red card with Portugal: How many does Lionel Messi have with Argentina?
Cristiano Ronaldo made headlines on Thursday afternoon in the UEFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ireland, not for adding to his historic goal tally, but for receiving the first red card of his Portugal career. It’s an unwanted milestone for the 40-year-old, and one that brings new comparisons to Lionel Messi’s disciplinary record with Argentina.
At Dublin Arena, Ireland stunned Portugal by scoring twice in the first half through Troy Parrott, forcing Roberto Martínez’s side to push forward after the break. But in the 59th minute, as Renato Veiga attempted a cross into the box, Ronaldo caught defender Dara O’Shea with an elbow to the back, prompting referee Glenn Nyberg to show him a yellow card.
Moments later, however, the Swedish official was called to the VAR monitor for a review. After taking another look, Nyberg upgraded the caution to a straight red, sending Ronaldo off in the 61st minute. As he walked toward the tunnel, Irish fans taunted him with chants of “Messi,” adding insult to a historic moment in Ronaldo’s national-team career.
Ronaldo made his Portugal debut in August 2003 at just 18 years old and has since played 225 matches, scoring a world-record 143 international goals while receiving 32 yellow cards. But in his 226th appearance, more than 20 years after his debut, he was finally shown red for the first time with the national team.
While this is his first dismissal with Portugal, Ronaldo is no stranger to seeing red at club level. Over the course of his professional career, he has been sent off 12 times, four for second yellows and eight straight reds. With Thursday’s incident, his overall tally rises to 13.
Was Messi sent off with Argentina?
As the two most influential players of their generation, Ronaldo and Messi are constantly compared, including in how they conduct themselves on the pitch. And while both have largely maintained disciplined careers, neither superstar has a spotless record with his national team.
Messi has been sent off twice for Argentina. The first came in his debut: a 2005 friendly against Hungary on August 17. After entering the match in the 64th minute, Messi lasted just 43 seconds before being shown a straight red for striking Vilmos Vanczák with his arm as he tried to break free from a challenge, prompting referee Markus Merk to dismiss him.
His second red card came during the 2019 Copa América in the third-place match against Chile. In the 37th minute, Messi and defender Gary Medel clashed chest-to-chest after a contested ball, and referee Mario Díaz de Vivar issued red cards to both players.
Frustrated by the officiating throughout the tournament, Messi sharply criticized CONMEBOL after the match, which Argentina won 2–1. The confederation responded by handing Messi a three-month suspension, forcing him to miss four friendlies with the national team.