One of the best and highest-paid soccer players, Christiano Ronaldo, is not a stranger to epic wins and unprecedented goal streaks.
But, he sometimes struggles with keeping his temper down low. And more often, referees have something fierce to offer him – the red card.
So, have you ever wondered, “How many red cards does Ronaldo have?”
Get ready to find out!
All 11 Matches That Resulted In a Red Card For Ronaldo
Aston Villa vs. Manchester United, May 2004
Ronaldo’s first red card came in when he scored 2-0, marking a fantastic United win in the Premier League showdown. However, he was booked twice as he was considered wasting time and handed a red card for the second warning.
Manchester City vs. Manchester United, January 2006
The next red card in Ronaldo’s career came in 2006 when playing against Manchester City. This time around, one can’t say what is worse – the fact that Ronaldo was sent off or that his club suffered and lost due to it.
Portsmouth vs. Manchester United, August 2007
Ronaldo headbutted Richard Hughes in a draw against Portsmouth and got himself banned for the following three matches.
But Ronaldo scored 42 goals in the Premier League that season despite the red card.
Manchester City vs. Manchester United, November 2008
Whenever both the Manchester clubs play, it always ends badly for Ronaldo. Hence, this match wasn’t an exception when Ronaldo was sent off for a handball that caught him off-guard.
Real Madrid vs. Almeria, December 2009
It was a highlighted red card as it was Ronaldo’s debut season with LaLiga. It was also when after much deliberation, Ronaldo had switched to Real Madrid.
Despite the whopping 4-2 win against Almeria, Christiano Ronaldo has received a red card for being ill-tempered.
Real Madrid vs. Malaga, January 2010
With a New Year and new beginnings for Ronaldo came a fresh new red card. But, it was a consecutive win for Real Madrid, with Ronaldo scoring both the goals of 2-0. However, he had elbowed Mtiliga while trying to ward off Dane.
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid, May 2013
A loss and a red card always is a sour spot. However, this was more of an open wound, given it was the first time that Real Madrid lost. So the nerves were so high that Ronaldo kicked the opposing team captain for a straight red card in the game’s final few minutes.
Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Madrid, February 2014
Ronaldo got into a famous spat with Carlos Gurrpegi, a defender on Athletic Bilbao, and the referee. Thus it resulted in Ronaldo’s next red card. Moreover, the three-match ban didn’t go well with the audience. They revisited the case after weeks of protests and anger on social media.
Cordoba vs. Real Madrid, January 2015
People saw a different side of Ronaldo when he angrily kicked the Cordoba defender Edimar a few seconds before being backed off.
However, Real struggled to create chances and won the match 2:1.
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, August 2017
This spat will go down in history because it was already a tight match, with Lionel Messi and Ronaldo coming face to face in the 2017 match. And then, Ronaldo did what no one had ever done – he removed his shirt in celebration and flexed his abs. Moreover, he followed up with a close dive in the referee’s face for a penalty costing him a red card.
Juventus vs. Valencia, September 2018
Ronaldo’s red card record was set when he switched to Juventus, his club debut. Ronaldo cried after receiving this red card and left the field head down.
Bottom Line
So now that you know ”how many red cards does Ronaldo have,” you realise that these 11 red cards are insignificant compared to his success on the football pitch.
Ronaldo breaks men’s international goalscoring record, and he is regarded as the GOAT, the greatest of all time, for a reason.
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