WASHINGTON, D.C. – Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo listens as President Donald Trump speaks at a dinner with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025 at the White House in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Washington Post via Getty Images
Let the conspiracy theories begin.
Portuguese international striker supreme Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday was given a surprise reprieve by FIFA after he was slapped with a three-game suspension for a violent conduct red card earlier this month.
Ronaldo was expected to miss, at a minimum, Portugal’s World Cup opener in 2026 after being awarded a straight red card for elbowing Dara O’Shea’s back in his team’s 2-0 loss to the Republic of Ireland on Nov. 13.
Now, violent conduct red cards usually carry a three-game suspension, but FIFA said in a statement on Tuesday that it had sliced two matches off the ban.
Ronaldo already had sat out one match, Portugal’s final qualifier, a 9-1 trouncing of Armenia on Nov. 16.
So, there is no reason for Ronaldo to set out a World Cup match.
There is a caveat, however.
WARSAW, POLAND – OCTOBER 12: Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after scoring his team second goal during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League A Group A1 match between Poland and Portugal at PGE Narodowy on October 12, 2024 in Warsaw, Poland. (Photo by Rafal Oleksiewicz/Getty Images)
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He better behave
Ronaldo is under probation.
According to The Telegraph, FIFA released this statement:
“In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the serving of the two remaining matches has been suspended under a one-year probation period. If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension set out in the disciplinary decision shall be deemed automatically revoked and the remaining two matches must be served immediately at the next official match(es) of the Portuguese representative team. This is without prejudice to any additional sanctions imposed for the new infringement.”
So, Ronaldo has to behave in friendlies leading up to the World Cup, which kicks off on June 11 in Mexico City before the United States and Canada host their opening contests.
The ban also can be appealed to the FIFA Appeal Committee.
What makes it intriguing was that on Nov. 19, Ronaldo visited the White House and talked soccer with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
Afterwards, he attended a black-tie dinner with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, a constant presence at the White House the past 12 months, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and many business leaders and billionaires.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – AUGUST 22: Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr celebrating after scores the 1st goal during the Saudi Pro League match between Al Nassr and Al Raed at Al Awwal Park Stadium on August 22, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
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The Saudi connection
“My son [Baron] is a big fan of Ronaldo – wherever Ronaldo is here,” Trump told the crowd at the dinner, according to The New York Times. “And Barron got to meet him, and I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you.”
Ronaldo’s visit to the Oval Office coincided with Bin Salman’s first visit to the U.S. since Saudi Arabian agents killed and dismembered Washington Post columnist, Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
The 40-year-old Ronaldo has become the face of Saudis’ Pro Soccer League has spent billions of dollars trying to entice some of the best players in the world to play in it. Ronaldo’s contract with Al-Nassr reportedly is worth $200 million a year.
With President Trump handing out several high-profile pardons this year, it can get many a soccer observer thinking while trying to make sense of all of the facts.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – FEBRUARY 03: Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr celebrates after scoring the third goal of his team during the AFC Champions League Elite match between Al-Nassr and Al Wasl at King Saud University Stadium on February 03, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Al Nassr FC/Al Nassr FC via Getty Images)
Al Nassr FC via Getty Images
Ronaldo and Messi on stage together?
Just wondering if this sets things up for Ronaldo to appear at the 2026 World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center For the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on Friday, Dec. 5. Add Lionel Messi into the mix and you’ve got the two biggest soccer stars of their generation, if not all-time, on the stage at the same time. If that doesn’t, ahem, draw attention to the World Cup, yours truly doesn’t know what would.
Love him or hate him, Ronaldo many times winds up being the center of attention, especially for his goal-scoring penchant. Through Nov. 25, he totaled an astonishing 954 for club and country, according to www.roadto1000goals.com.
One other piece to the puzzle is that President Trump is expected to attend and even partake in the draw. In what capacity, it is not known. And oh yes, Trump just happens to be the chairman of the Kennedy Center.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – JULY 13: U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA applauds following the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
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Infantino and the FIFA Peace Prize
Now, it is not known whether Infantino played any role behind the end of the ban to perhaps help the draw and allow Ronaldo to play..
But the FIFA president has cozied up to Trump in other ways.
Infantino recently announced that he would present the first FIFA Peace Prize at the draw. One of President Trump’s object of desires is to win the Nobel Peace Prize. A FIFA peace trophy might not be anywhere near the same orbit as the well-known Peace Prize, the possibility of Trump receiving the award has stirred many a rumor.
Then again, perhaps everything is just a coincidence and a conspiracy theory.
In international soccer, strange stuff happens on and off the pitch, giving rise to several conspiracy theories.
One well-known theory that has bounced around for years, if not decades, is that the quadrennial World Cup draw seemingly is fixed, although no one has been able to prove it.
But that’s another story and conspiracy theory to talk about another time.
We’ll just have to wait until Dec. 5 to see everything pans out.
Michael Lewis, who has been selected by the United Soccer Coaches as the sixth recipient of the Clay Berling Media Career of Excellence Award, who will be honored at the organization’s convention in January. He can be followed on X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky at @soccerwriter.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaellewis/2025/11/25/after-visiting-white-house-ronaldo-gets-suspension-cut-by-fifa/
