In the 5th round of Group F of the European Group Stage of the World Cup Qualifiers, Ireland faced Portugal at home. In the 61st minute of the game, Ronaldo elbowed his opponent. The referee checked VAR and sent him off. The broadcast footage showed that after Cristiano Ronaldo left the field in red, members of the opponent's coaching staff stopped Cristiano Ronaldo and said a few words to him before Cristiano Ronaldo returned to the tunnel.