Cristiano Ronaldo Getty Images

Ronaldo received his first red card in 226 appearances for Portugal

At a glance

  • Troy Parrott double gives Republic of Ireland crucial win in Dublin

  • Cristiano Ronaldo shown straight red card for lashing out at Dara O'Shea

  • Portugal lead Group F by two points before final matchday, Republic of Ireland one point off second-placed Hungary

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI senior journalist

Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off for the first time in international football as Portugal missed the chance to secure World Cup qualification with a surprise 2-0 defeat by the Republic of Ireland at Aviva Stadium.

After Troy Parrott's first-half double for the home side, Ronaldo was initially shown a yellow card for swinging his elbow into Irish defender Dara O'Shea's back on the hour mark.

However, the Portugal captain's card was upgraded after the video assistant referee (VAR) advised referee Glenn Nyberg to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.

An ignominious end to the five-time Ballon d'Or's night, it was Ronaldo's first red for Portugal in his 226th appearance.

Victory would have sealed Portugal's place at next year's finals with a game to spare, but Parrott's brace was enough to deny Roberto Martinez's side and keep alive the Republic of Ireland's qualifying hopes.

While Portugal are still in pole position to top the group, they will be without Ronaldo for Sunday's home match against Armenia (14:00 GMT), with the length of his suspension to be decided by a disciplinary committee.

The Republic of Ireland, meanwhile, would secure a play-off spot with victory over Hungary in Budapest on Sunday (14:00).

Portugal analysis: Ronaldo sees red after 'good boy' promise

Cristiano Ronaldo exchanges words with Heimir HallgrimssonGetty Images

Ronaldo had a heated exchange with Hallgrimsson on the touchline before shaking the Republic of Ireland manager's hand

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Ronaldo said he would try to be a "good boy" to stop Irish fans booing him.

But the Al-Nassr superstar drew howls of derision from the Dublin crowd when he lashed out at O'Shea inside the Republic of Ireland penalty area and pretended to wipe tears away from his face.

Having been given his marching orders, Ronaldo exchanged words with Republic of Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson and sarcastically applauded the crowd, before shaking the Icelander's hand and walking down the tunnel.

In the build-up to the game, Ronaldo accused Hallgrimsson of mind games after the manager urged the referee not to be influenced by the forward.

It had already been a frustrating night for the 40-year-old, who has twice had penalties saved against the Republic of Ireland in the past.

Having lashed a shot over the bar and blasted a free-kick into the wall, he cut an increasingly frustrated figure before becoming the protagonist in the game's flashpoint.

Beyond that, Portugal - who were without the suspended Bruno Fernandes - were found wanting in front of the Irish goal, with Joao Felix heading over the bar in the first half before an unmarked Vitinha lashed at a shot at the far post two minutes after the restart.

It is Portugal's first defeat since a 1-0 Nations League loss to Denmark in March, but they will still guarantee their place at a seventh successive World Cup with victory over Armenia - who they beat 5-0 in September - on Sunday.

Republic of Ireland analysis: Parrott the hero

Troy ParrottGetty Images

Parrott stepped up for the Republic of Ireland in Evan Ferguson's absence

Hungary's victory in Yerevan earlier on Thursday simplified the situation for the Republic of Ireland.

Knowing defeat would end their qualifying hopes, they needed to produce the best performance of the Hallgrimsson era against the 2016 European champions.

And while Evan Ferguson's injury robbed the Irish of their top scorer, Parrott stepped up in spectacular fashion.

The former Tottenham forward, who has scored 13 goals in 14 games for AZ Alkmaar this season, led the line with energy and intensity, forcing Portugal keeper Diogo Costa into a mistake while attempting to clear the ball after 15 minutes.

From the resulting corner, Jack Taylor found Liam Scales at the far post, with the Celtic defender's header back into the six-yard area turned in by Parrott.

Sensing opportunities against a shaky Portuguese backline, Chiedozie Ogbene also looked threatening for the hosts and nearly doubled the lead when he cut inside and struck a post with a curling right-foot shot.

With seconds remaining in the first half, Parrott handed the Irish their first two-goal lead in two years when he cut inside Ruben Neves and beat Costa at his near post, sparking ecstatic scenes among the home fans in Dublin.

The Republic of Ireland would have expected a strong response from the visitors, and while Caoimhin Kelleher produced a fine save to deny Goncalo Ramos, the hosts were able to comfortably see the game out and complete a famous win over the team ranked fifth in the world.

It is the Republic of Ireland's first competitive win over Portugal in seven attempts stretching back to 1995 and a vital boost in their bid to reach the World Cup for the first time since 2002.

Player of the match

T. Parrott
9.14
7 T. Parrott
9.14
1 C. Kelleher
8.35
2 S. Coleman
8.11
3 L. Scales
8.03
20 C. Ogbene
8.03
5 J. O'Brien
8.01
22 N. Collins
7.97
4 D. O'Shea
7.79
12 J. Dunne
7.74
8 J. Taylor
7.74
11 F. Azaz
7.69
6 J. Cullen
7.67
17 C. Coventry
7.54
19 M. Johnston
7.36
10 A. Idah
7.26
21 F. Ebosele
7.18
Back to team tabs

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.

Related topics