Martinez felt Ronaldo's red card was 'harsh'

“The only bad taste in my mouth the Ireland coach talked about the influence on referees and there’s a big centre-half on the floor."

13 November 2025; Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal gestures towards Dara O'Shea of Republic of Ireland, not pictured, after they tangled, resulting in a red card for Cristiano Ronaldo during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F Qualifier match between Republic of Ireland and Portugal at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez felt Cristiano Ronaldo’s red card was ‘harsh’, deriding his counterpart’s pre-match comments as leaving a ‘sour taste’.

Ireland’s 2-0 win in the penultimate World Cup qualifier was overshadowed by the Portugal captain’s sending off for a shove on Dara O’Shea on the hour mark.