The submission, which is being prepared with the direct involvement of FPF president Pedro Proenca, aims to ensure the player is not suspended at the start of the 2026 World Cup and is based on three main points: the pre-match atmosphere created by the coach of the Republic of Ireland, the incident itself, and Ronaldo’s lack of prior disciplinary issues, as he had never been sent off while playing for the national team.
According to the federation, which has already been notified by FIFA of the disciplinary proceedings against the forward, the statements made by coach Heimir Hallgrimsson - who accused Ronaldo of influencing the refereeing during the match between the two teams at Alvalade (a 1-0 win for Portugal) - "created a clearly and demonstrably hostile environment around the national team captain."
The FPF also argues that, in the incident leading to the sending off, Cristiano Ronaldo "was, as on many other occasions during the match, blatantly held inside the box" and reacted out of "frustration," resulting in the Portuguese international elbowing Irish defender Dara O’Shea.
The organisation further points to the player’s clean record, noting that the sending off in the 61st minute of the match in Dublin was "the first time Cristiano Ronaldo had ever been sent off in more than 200 appearances for the national team, which is truly remarkable and demonstrates his consistently exemplary conduct."
According to the same source, "the FPF is confident that these arguments are more than sufficient mitigating factors to convince FIFA that Cristiano Ronaldo does not deserve a suspension longer than one match."
Ronaldo was released from national team duties on Friday, with Portugal set to face Armenia in Porto on Sunday, in the sixth and final round of Group F qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
If the Al Nassr superstar is handed a suspension of more than one match, and Portugal secures direct qualification, he could miss games at the 2026 World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
On Thursday in Dublin, Ronaldo was sent off for the first time while playing for the Portuguese national team, after 226 matches, when Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg showed him a straight red card following an incident involving O’Shea.
In a match where Portugal could have secured their ninth and seventh consecutive qualification for World Cup finals, they were defeated by the Republic of Ireland 2-0, thanks to a brace from Troy Parrott.