FIFA is set to revise its suspension rules for accumulated yellow cards at the 2026 World Cup in North America.
According to the BBC on Tuesday, FIFA is preparing a plan to wipe all yellow card records at two points during the tournament: after the final group-stage match and after the quarterfinals.
Under the rules used through the 2022 World Cup, any player who received two yellow cards during the group stage and knockout rounds (round of 16 and quarterfinals) was suspended for one match.
All yellow cards accumulated over the first five matches — three group-stage games, one round-of-16 match, and one quarterfinal — were cleared once a team reached the semifinals.
However, beginning with the 2026 tournament, the number of participating nations will expand from 32 to 48, increasing the number of matches required to reach the quarterfinals from five to six. That change made the existing suspension rule a greater burden on players.
FIFA reportedly considered two options: raising the suspension threshold to three yellow cards or increasing the number of points at which yellow cards are reset.
In the end, FIFA chose to keep the suspension threshold at two yellow cards and introduce two separate reset points. It plans to discuss the proposal at a council meeting.
If adopted, players would face suspension for receiving yellow cards in two of their three group-stage matches, or for accumulating two bookings between the round of 32 and the quarterfinals.
(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)
khnews@heraldcorp.com
