“A player shouldn’t be refereeing” - Ireland coach accuses Cristiano Ronaldo of controlling referee, Portugal captain responds

Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson has urged the referee for their FIFA World Cup qualifier game against Portugal not to be influenced by Cristiano Ronaldo. He claimed that the Portuguese superstar controlled the official and the fans in their meeting back in Lisbon, Portugal, in October.

Speaking to the media, Hallgrimsson said the referee needs to be on his own today and ensure Ronaldo does not control the proceedings as he did in the previous match. He said (via The Sun):

“Obviously it’s up to the referee if he takes part in a play but the thing in Portugal, he was not only controlling the referee, he was controlling the whole stadium.”

Talking about the previous meeting, Hallgrimsson added that the Portugal fans were also influencing the referee and hopes his fans do the same this week. He said:

“So all the fans (in Lisbon) ­supported his actions and the referee just kind of played along. I hope it will be the vice-versa now we are in the Aviva. But obviously, a player shouldn’t be refereeing, it should be the officials doing the refereeing. I hope the people here will see that and recognise that if they want to affect the game.”

However, Cristiano Ronaldo was uninterested in Heimir Hallgrimsson's comments, claiming the Iceland coach was trying to put pressure on the referee ahead of the game. He said:

“I think he tries to make pressure for the referee. For sure, he’s a smart guy, he knows where to push. I know how coaches make pressure, or take away pressure from their players. It’s normal because I know if they lose, they are out. So they try and make things around the game. We have to be prepared for a tough game, and I think it’ll be very similar to the game that they play in Lisbon."

Ruben Neves scored the only goal of the game when Portugal hosted Ireland in the previous meeting.

Cristiano Ronaldo wants Ireland fans to boo him

Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed that Ireland have a chance of winning against Portugal, as they have a good squad. He heaped praise on the fans too, but hopes that they boo him during the match. He said:

“They have a chance, they are a good team. I think Portugal are going to do a good game and we’re going to win the match. I really like the fans here in Ireland, the support they give to the national team. I hope they don’t boo too much for me. I swear I’m going to try and be a good boy! But of course I will do my best to win the game, try to score to help my team.”

Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal can seal their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a win over Ireland.