In Portugal’s 1-0 victory against Slovakia last Friday, Ronaldo received a yellow card, which has led to his suspension for the upcoming match against Luxembourg on Monday.

WHAT HAPPENED?

During the match, the Portugal team captain had a close call when he accidentally made contact with his former Manchester United teammate, Martin Dubravka’s face with his stray boot. Remarkably, referee Glenn Nyberg decided to issue only a yellow card, and Ronaldo escaped further consequences even after a VAR review.

WHY WON’T RONALDO PLAY?

Ronaldo faces suspension because this yellow card marked his third in the European Championship qualifying campaign.

THE BIGGER PICTURE:

Portugal’s all-time leading goal-scorer will see his streak of 10 consecutive international appearances come to a halt during Monday’s game against Luxembourg. His last absence from national duty was in November 2022, when he missed a friendly against Nigeria due to illness, resulting in a 4-0 win.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Ronaldo will be relegated to the spectator’s seat as his team takes on Luxembourg. A victory in this match would virtually secure Portugal’s place in next summer’s Euros, as they aim to replicate their 2016 heroics.