Ireland Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson Urge Referee Not To Be Influenced By Ronaldo In The Upcoming World Cup Qualifier

Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson has urged the referee to hold their spine against Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of their upcoming qualifier against Portugal. The Portuguese team will travel to Dublin to secure their position in the 2026 World Cup, while the hosts will look forward to holding a draw to keep their World Cup dream alive. 

Ahead of their match on November 14, Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson spoke to the media about his concerns regarding Ronaldo's influence on the referees. He shared, "Obviously, it’s up to the referee if he (Ronaldo) takes part in a play, but the thing in Portugal, he was not only controlling the referee, he was controlling the whole stadium, so all the fans supported his actions and the referee just kind of played along."
For the unversed, when the two teams met last time, a frustrated Ronaldo was seen constantly talking to Slovakian match official Ivan Kruzliak and was eventually awarded a penalty to the former Manchester United player.

ALSO READ- Ireland vs Portugal, World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: Here's Everything You Need To Know From Preview, Starting Lineup And Predictions

Hallgrimsson Shares His Thoughts About The Team's Previous Meeting

While talking about their previous meeting last month, the Ireland coach shared that the Portuguese fans played a huge role in influencing the match referee. He hopes the Irish fans to do the same in the upcoming match. 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 that 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."

He further added, "I hope the people here will see that and recognise that if they want to affect the game, they shouldn’t at least affect the referee."

ALSO READ- 'I'm Used To It': Cristiano Ronaldo Sets The Record Straight, Gives His Take On Hostile Dublin Crowd Ahead Of Ireland vs Portugal Match

Cristiano Ronaldo Responds To Hallgrimsson's Comments

When asked about his thoughts on the matter, Ronaldo shared that he is not too concerned about it and implied that the coach is putting unnecessary pressure on the referee. He shared, "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."
Swedish official Glenn Nyberg will be the referee in the upcoming World Cup 2026 qualifier, which could decide the host's World Cup qualifying dream.