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When the World Cup kicks off this month in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, it will mark the first-ever 48-team World Cup in FIFA's history. And with an expanded field, FIFA wanted to cut down on suspensions for yellow cards.
We'll see that new rule come into play at this World Cup.
In previous tournaments, if a player accumulated two yellow cards through the quarterfinal, he would be suspended for the following match. That had forced coaches to adjust their tactics whenever a key player was on a yellow and led to stars missing crucial games.
In April, though, FIFA voted to make it more difficult to get a yellow card suspension at the World Cup. Now, players will have single yellow cards wiped at two different points in the tournament — after the group stage and again after the quarterfinal. Two yellow cards before those amnesty points will still result in a one-game suspension.
FIFA announced the rule change in a statement:
And it makes sense. The group stage and knockout rounds should essentially be considered different tournaments. So, it never seemed fair to have a player carry a yellow card from the opening match into the Round of 16 and risk a quarterfinal suspension.
This change only applies to single yellow cards. So, if a player picks up a second yellow in the final group match, he'll still have to serve the one-game suspension in the Round of 32. But this way, the best players will remain on the field for the biggest matches.
That's what everyone wants to see.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: FIFA's new rules for yellow card suspensions at 2026 World Cup
Continue reading...
We'll see that new rule come into play at this World Cup.
In previous tournaments, if a player accumulated two yellow cards through the quarterfinal, he would be suspended for the following match. That had forced coaches to adjust their tactics whenever a key player was on a yellow and led to stars missing crucial games.
In April, though, FIFA voted to make it more difficult to get a yellow card suspension at the World Cup. Now, players will have single yellow cards wiped at two different points in the tournament — after the group stage and again after the quarterfinal. Two yellow cards before those amnesty points will still result in a one-game suspension.
FIFA announced the rule change in a statement:
And it makes sense. The group stage and knockout rounds should essentially be considered different tournaments. So, it never seemed fair to have a player carry a yellow card from the opening match into the Round of 16 and risk a quarterfinal suspension.
This change only applies to single yellow cards. So, if a player picks up a second yellow in the final group match, he'll still have to serve the one-game suspension in the Round of 32. But this way, the best players will remain on the field for the biggest matches.
That's what everyone wants to see.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: FIFA's new rules for yellow card suspensions at 2026 World Cup
Continue reading...
