GENEVA (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo will likely avoid missing any Portugal games at the World Cup despite his red card in a qualifying game for elbowing an Ireland opponent.
FIFA published a disciplinary verdict Tuesday that imposed a three-game ban, which judged Ronaldo's action as “violent conduct” or “serious foul play,” but with two of those games deferred for a one-year probation period.
Ronaldo served a mandatory one-game ban when Portugal played its final qualifying game last week — a 9-1 win over Armenia that sealed its place at the World Cup in North America.
The superstar had been expected to be banned for at least one more game and start what will be his record sixth World Cup on the sidelines.
FIFA cited its disciplinary rules that allow for parts of a sanction to be probationary, though it is rare in cases of a three-game ban for two of them to be deferred.
In two cases judged by FIFA this month, players from Armenia and Burundi were banned for three games after getting red cards for acts of aggression in World Cup qualifying games and neither got a reduction on probation.
“If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period,” FIFA said in a statement, then the remaining two games will be activated.
FIFA has disciplinary authority over national-team games and Portugal is scheduled to play two friendly matches in March, then likely one or two warmup games in late-May or June. The World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico starts June 11.
Ronaldo swung an arm and struck Ireland defender Dara O’Shea with an elbow during a 2-0 loss in Dublin two weeks ago.
The FIFA verdict comes one week after Ronaldo met U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House for a formal dinner with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. FIFA president Gianni Infantino also attended the event and posed for a selfie photo with Ronaldo.
Ronaldo has played in the Saudi league for three years at one of the clubs majority owned by the kingdom's sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund that the prince chairs. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup and has been a major financial backer of FIFA in the past two years.
FIFA said its disciplinary verdict of “the three-match suspension is subject to appeal to the FIFA Appeal Committee.”
It was unclear who could have legal standing to challenge the verdict, and if that might be the soccer federation of Ireland or Portugal's opponents at the World Cup.
Trump is due to attend the draw ceremony Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where Portugal, one of the 48-team tournament's top seeds, will learn its three opponents in a round-robin group.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Cristiano Ronaldo, center, attends a dinner with President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during a World Cup 2026 group F qualifying soccer match between Ireland and Portugal in Dublin, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. (Niall Carson/PA via AP)
The PWHL filled its final two expansion team general manager openings with three-time U.S. Olympian Meghan Duggan taking over in Hamilton, Ontario, and Troy Ryan leaving the Toronto Sceptres to take on the dual role of coach and GM in San Jose.
The hirings were announced Friday and complete the league’s round of GM additions for each of its four new franchises, which will begin play next season.
The 38-year-old Duggan spent the past five years in a player development role in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils. She brings high-profile name recognition and experience to the PWHL’s fifth Canadian-based franchise.
She had already been working with the PWHL as a special consultant for the hockey operations department. Before her retirement in 2020, Duggan was a founding member of the PWHPA, which was made up of a group of players who helped establish the PWHL three years ago.
“Meghan has been an effective leader at every stage of her career, and she is a rising star in the front office ranks,” said PWHL executive VP of hockey operations Jayna Hefford, who oversaw the hiring process.
Ryan, meantime, leaves Toronto after coaching the team in its first three seasons to become the PWHL’s first to handle both coaching and GM duties. The move continues an offseason of transition for Ryan. He previously said he’s stepping down after a six-year stint as head coach the Canadian national women’s team.
The 54-year-old Ryan coached Canada to a gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and won silver at the Milan Cortina Games in February.
“Expansion creates a rare opportunity to shape everything with intention, from the standards and culture, to the people and connection to the community,” Ryan said. “We want to build a team that plays with purpose, represents the Bay Area with pride, and helps continue to grow women’s hockey on the West Coast.”
The four new franchises grow the PWHL to 12 teams for next season, doubling the league’s size since it began play in 2024. The league also added teams in Detroit and Las Vegas.
Among Duggan and Ryan’s immediate responsibilities are hiring their staff, including a coach in Hamilton, while also filling out their rosters. The league’s expansion signing process is set to begin in two weeks, followed by the draft on June 17.
Duggan is from Danvers, Massachusetts, and won Olympic silver medals in 2010 and 2014 before winning gold in at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, with her serving as team captain. She also won seven gold medals and one silver in eight world championship appearances.
Despite her U.S. roots, Duggan has Canadian connections. She’s married to former Team Canada rival Gillian Apps, who is from the Toronto area, about an hour’s drive east of Hamilton.
“This league represents the future of women’s professional sports. And the opportunity to help build a team, culture, and identity from the ground up is a privilege,” Duggan said. “Hamilton is a passionate sports city with a rich hockey tradition, and my goal is to create an environment where players can thrive and compete for a championship.”
Duggan played at Wisconsin, where she won the 2011 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as women’s college hockey’s MVP following her senior season with the Badgers.
Ryan brings a wealth of hockey front office and coaching experience to the PWHL’s first team in California. He was the PWHL’s first coach of the year in 2024, and has a career record of 52-32-10.
Under Ryan, the Sceptres lost in the semifinal round of the playoffs in their first two seasons, and finished fifth this year after being eliminated on the final day of the regular season. In Toronto, he worked with GM Gina Kingsbury, who held the same role with Team Canada.
Ryan is credited for helping turn around a Canadian national team program that hit its low in winning bronze at the 2019 world championships. In the five following world tournament appearances under Ryan, Canada won three gold medals and two silvers.
Ryan is from Nova Scotia, and worked in several GM and coaching jobs in the men’s Junior A Maritime Hockey League. He then made the switch in becoming head coach of the Dalhousie University women’s team from 2020-23.
AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey
FILE - Toronto Sceptres head coach Troy Ryan directs his team as they play the Minnesota Frost in the first period of a PWHL hockey playoff game, May 11, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn, File)
FILE - Meghan Duggan listens to a question from the media, March 3, 2018, in Annapolis, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
