Cristiano Ronaldo Receives Two-Game Ban for Red Card Incident in Saudi Super Cup Semifinals.

Soccer General

Cristiano Ronaldo Receives Two-Game Ban for Red Card Incident in Saudi Super Cup Semifinals.

Cristiano Ronaldo is looking at a two-game suspension after getting his first red card in Saudi Arabia. He elbowed an opponent during Al-Nassr's 2-1 defeat against Al-Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup semifinals.

The five-time Ballon D’Or recipient, who joined Al-Nassr in December 2022, got a red card in the 86th minute for hitting Al-Hilal defender Ali Al-Bulaihi. 

Reports from Saudi Arabia suggest the 39-year-old football star could face additional penalties for appearing to mock the referee while leaving the field in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

When Ronaldo was red-carded, Al-Nassr was trailing 2-0 due to goals from Salem Al-Dawsari and Brazilian winger Malcom for Al-Hilal.

Senegalese player Sadio Mane scored a goal in added time, but Al-Hilal held on to secure a spot in the final against Al-Ittihad in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

In 2023, the tournament format changed from a single match between the league champion and King's Cup winner to include the runners-up from both competitions.