Republic of Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson has revealed what Cristiano Ronaldo told him after being sent off in Portugal’s 2-0 defeat to Ireland during Thursday’s FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifier at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

The Al-Nassr star received a red card in the 62nd minute after elbowing Ireland defender Dara O’Shea in a tussle on the pitch. Initially given a yellow card, Ronaldo’s punishment was upgraded to a red following a VAR review, ruling him out of Portugal’s final qualifying match against Armenia on Sunday.

Despite the incident, Hallgrimsson said Ronaldo approached him after the match to comment on the situation.

“He complimented me with putting pressure on the referee, but listen, it had nothing to do with me; it was his action on the pitch that cost him a red card,” Hallgrimsson said. “It had nothing to do with me unless I got into his head. He told me that walking away. He said it was a clever thing to do. He blamed the referee or whoever for this, but it was his silly decision to attack our player.”

Ireland’s victory, courtesy of a brace from Troy Parrott, keeps their World Cup qualification hopes alive and dealt a heavy blow to Portugal’s campaign. Ronaldo’s dismissal added to Portugal’s frustration, highlighting the high stakes and emotional intensity of World Cup qualifying matches.

The Irish coach’s revelation provides a glimpse into the post-match interactions between managers and star players, showing that even the world’s best can make impulsive mistakes on the pitch.