Cristiano Ronaldo's gesture seconds before red card backfires after being caught on camera

Moments before being shown a red card against Ireland on Thursday night, Cristiano Ronaldo could be seen making a crying gesture towards Dara O'Shea and in view of the home fans. He initially looked to have avoided a dismissal after elbowing O'Shea, but a VAR check saw him given his marching orders. Ronaldo's antics quickly came back to bite him. Just moments after the red card was shown to the Portugal star, Ireland fans copied the 40-year-old's gesture and used it to mock him. The veteran's behaviour ended up costing his team, and could end up costing him more directly. Portugal saw their hopes of a comeback dashed as they played the final half-hour two goals and a man down, with Troy Parrott's brace giving Ireland all three points. It means Portugal still need a result at home to Armenia in their final game to clinch qualification for the World Cup. If and when they get there, he could end up being suspended for the opening game if he's handed a ban of longer than one game for his antics. Portugal manager Roberto Martinez defended Ronaldo after the player's first red card in more than 200 senior international appearances. “I think it's difficult for a player like Cristiano, who is in the area throughout the game and has to deal with defenders who are always making contact, always grabbing…" Martinez said. "There's no violence; Cristiano tries to clear the ball. He was unlucky. I think the angle of the images suggests worse than what happened. It's his first red card for the national team, which is still incredible.” Ireland's manager Heimir Hallgrimsson also spoke about the red card following the game. "He complimented me for putting pressure on the referee," the Icelander said when asked about his interaction with Ronaldo. "But listen, it had nothing to do with me, it was his action on the pitch that cost him a red card. It had nothing to do with me, unless I got into his head." Hallgrimsson had previously accused Ronaldo of controlling the referee during the reverse fixture, when Portugal claimed a last-gasp victory over Ireland in Lisbon. Ronaldo addressed these comments in a pre-match press conference before Thursday's game in Dublin. "I think he tried to make pressure to the referee because, for sure, he's a smart guy, he knows where they can push," Ronaldo said. "I've been in the game so many years and I know how the coach thinks and how they try to make pressure or take away the pressure from their players." Ronaldo recognised Ireland would be eliminated with a defeat, but instead their 2-0 victory leaves the group wide open. Portugal can still make sure of top spot by beating Armenia, but third-placed Ireland and second-placed Hungary are both still in contention to make next summer's World Cup, either automatically or via the play-offs. Ireland drew 2-2 at home to Hungary after trailing 2-0 early on, and a win against the same opponents on Sunday would see them guaranteed a play-off berth at the very least. Portugal, meanwhile, will be without the suspended Ronaldo against Armenia but still go into the game as heavy favourites. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.