The Portuguese player has scored 895 goals in 1,231 matches in his professional career, an impressive record. At the same time, being the best doesn't exempt him from being sanctioned. Cristiano Ronaldo has received a red card 12 times as a professional. In total, there were eight direct red cards and four dismissals for double yellow cards. Here are all the details on each of them.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been red-carded twelth times in his career, four with Manchester United, six with Real Madrid, one with Juventus and one with Al Nassr. It's not an excessive number for someone who has played more than 1,000 matches as a professional, averaging one red card every 102 matches.
Clarification: The video includes all his expulsions except the last one of his career, with Al Nassr.
Ronaldo received the second yellow card in a game and his first red card as a professional on May 15, 2004, in a match between Manchester United, his team, and Aston Villa. The expulsion came a year after his debut with the Red Devils, at the 85th minute of a meeting in which he had previously scored a goal.
The second time Ronaldo was shown a red card was, again, while playing for Manchester United. It happened in a 2006 Barclays Premier League game against Manchester City, in the city's derby. On January 14 of that year, the Portuguese player received his first direct red card in the 66th minute of a match that the Red Devils lost 3-1.
Cristiano Ronaldo's third expulsion as a professional football player was on August 15, 2007, against Portsmouth at Fratton Park. With just a few minutes left in the match, the forward received a red card and was suspended for three meetings.
CR7's last expulsion with Manchester United occurred once again in a derby against Manchester City on November 30, 2008. Ronaldo received two yellow cards for handling the ball in two separate plays. Fortunately, his team won that match 1-0.
On December 5, 2009, already wearing the Real Madrid jersey, Ronaldo received a red card for the fifth time in his career. The Portuguese forward received a second yellow card in a match against Almería.
One month after his first expulsion at Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo was once again sent off directly in a match against Malaga on January 24, 2010. The reason for the red card was an aggression towards an opponent, ironically in a match where the Portuguese had already scored a brace.
Cristiano Ronaldo's seventh career red card came three years after the previous one, when in the 2013 Copa del Rey final against Atletico Madrid, the Portuguese was sent off for a harsh foul. That match ended 2-1 in favor of the Aleti.
On February 2, 2014, Cristiano Ronaldo received another red card for assaulting an opponent. This time it was against Athletic Bilbao in a 1-1 draw between the Basque team and Real Madrid. Additionally, the Portuguese player received a three-match suspension for gesturing towards the referee.
In the match between Real Madrid and Córdoba on January 24, 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo received his ninth red card as a professional player. The expulsion came in the 82nd minute after an aggression towards an opponent.
On August 13, 2017, in the Spanish Supercup against Barcelona, Cristiano Ronaldo exceeded the celebration of a goal and received a second yellow card. The Portuguese player made a scene about the referee's decision and received a five-match suspension, although Real Madrid won the derby 3-1.
Cristiano Ronaldo was playing for Juventus when he was sent off on September 19, 2018, for his involvement in an altercation during the match against Valencia in the UEFA Champions League group stage. It was his only red card while wearing the Italian team's jersey. The Portuguese player left the field in tears.
His last expulsion as a professional player came in the Supercup semifinal against Al Hilal while playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. Cristiano Ronaldo pushed an opponent, stepped on him as he passed by, and was shown a red card. In his agitation, the forward threatened to hit the referee. This incident occurred on April 8, 2024, six years after his last red card while playing for Juventus. In the 86th minute of the second half, the Portuguese player argued with Brazilian defender Renan Lodi.
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