“I swear that I’m going to try to be a good boy.” Those were the words that tumbled out of the mouth of Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of Portugal’s World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday. I’m sure he meant it at the time, but all promises of good behaviour went out the window after Ireland took a shock two-goal lead at Lansdowne Road.The former Manchester United striker, harried and hassled by defenders determined to lock him down, swung a violent elbow into the back of Dara O’Shea on the hour mark.Referee Glenn Nyberg flashed a yellow card, to the annoyance of everyone in attendance. But in the age of VAR, not even Ronaldo himself is safe. Nyberg was sent to the monitor and had no choice but to upgrade it to a red; the first one in the player’s international career.The crowd roared in glee at the decision, which was not just a major boost to the home side’s chances of holding on for victory, but a moment of catharsis too.Four years previously, when the two sides met in the last World Cup qualification campaign at the Estadio Algarve, Ronaldo lashed out at O’Shea, swinging a punch at his shoulder for disrupting his preparation for a penalty. A VAR review resulted in no action being taken, which is probably why no one had any faith he would actually be sent off in Dublin on Thursday.Ronaldo missed the subsequent spot kick and Ireland went on to take the lead by the end of the half, but he ended up scoring two late goals to give the hosts victory and become the all-time highest goalscorer in international football. It stuck in the craw of every Irish fan and was at the forefront of our minds when he finally got his comeuppance.Read – Martinez defends Ronaldo after red card against Ireland (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Cristiano Ronaldo strop enters the annals of Irish football historyThe Al-Nassr star was the physical manifestation of frustration when he struck O’Shea again, letting it all out in one vicious act. He immediately complained about constant pushing, as if that was a valid excuse.While the game was paused, Ronaldo taunted O’Shea, mimicking tears to mock the defender’s ‘crying’ to the referee. Once he was given his marching orders, though, he took the decision with complete grace and left the pitch with what remained of his dignity intact.Just kidding. Ronaldo proceeded to act like the kind of man-child we have come to expect when things don’t go his way. He immediately turned to face the singing section, sarcastically clapping them and giving two thumbs up as he approached the sideline. He was greeted with mimicked tears of his own, a sea of hand waves wishing him farewell, and other unpleasant gestures we will leave up to your imagination.Ronaldo couldn’t just leave it there, of course. He started having words with Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson, pointing at him and gesturing that the Icelander was flapping his gums too much. The unflappable coach confronted him and they ended up shaking hands before Ronaldo finally went down the tunnel. It was the only flicker of humility we saw from him all night.Cristiano Ronaldo is given a red card after a VAR review for an elbowMimicked tears, a clash with the Ireland manager and an all-time send-off from the crowd follow. Dublin is no longer "lovely" for him Watch https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7 Live updates https://t.co/TgtjK2dsDN pic.twitter.com/E6IjPgPvaf— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) November 13, 2025“He complimented me for putting pressure on the referee,” Hallgrimsson revealed afterwards. “It was his action on the pitch that cost him the red card. It had nothing to do with me – unless I got into his head.”Ireland are meant to be an exercise in stat padding for Ronaldo, after all; it’s the only reason he still shows up for these games against so-called lesser opposition. When he’s not the hero of the piece, he instinctively slips into the role of villain. It was the kind of tantrum that will see him memed out of existence by Irish men and women for years to come, in no small part thanks to how much ammunition he provided an army of online posters. The victory itself will bring more than an enough joy to last for years, but the memories of that meltdown will last a lifetime.Hang it in the Louvre #COYBIG #IRLPOR #Ronaldo pic.twitter.com/MD25zvANWr— DAN O’NEILL (@activedan) November 14, 2025Cristiano Ronaldo’s first time being sent off for Portugal being against Ireland #IRLPOR https://t.co/a5BqyprBfC pic.twitter.com/QwqOFbYcNe— Fiona Small (@FionaSmall) November 13, 2025Give this lad the freedom of Dublin. #IRLPOR pic.twitter.com/pfpeoUuWtU— Paddy O'Brien (@Paddy__Paddy) November 13, 2025Irish sports broadcaster Eoin McDevitt tweeted: “I don’t want to exaggerate but… this could be the greatest three minutes in football history.” Ireland fans won’t argue the point with him too strenuously.Ahead of kickoff Ronaldo said: “I really like the fans here. The support they give to the national team, it’s lovely. For me, it’s a pleasure to come and play here again.” Life moves fast.Brilliant atmosphere electrifying the Aviva for Ireland and Portugal and brilliant stuff from Ireland – what goals, INTENSITY and organisation – best first half in Dublin in years #Ireland pic.twitter.com/tFOcEMsSWS— Stephen Gleeson (@StephenGleeson_) November 13, 2025Read – Power Rankings: Inter up, Manchester City charge back inSee Also – Five forgotten England internationals who need January movesFollow The Football Faithful on Social Media:Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTokThe post Cristiano Ronaldo strop enters the annals of Irish football history first appeared on The Football Faithful.