New yellow-card rule set to shake up the World Cup
Ahead of this summer’s expanded tournament in North America, FIFA is expected to change its amnesty system for yellow cards.
The expansion of the men’s World Cup to 48 teams will mean more matches and, as a result, a greater risk of players being suspended due to an accumulation of bookings. For that reason, FIFA looks set to heed the requests of national federations and head coaches by introducing a second yellow-card amnesty at this summer’s tournament.
This additional card reset will be discussed by world soccer’s governing body on Tuesday, at the FIFA Council meeting being held in Vancouver, Canada. According to The Athletic, approval appears to be a likely outcome.
How would the new amnesty system work?
Under the proposal, all yellow cards that did not lead to a suspension during the group stage would be wiped clean. That would mark the first of the two resets. The second would come after the quarterfinals, applying to players who had received only one yellow card across the round of 32, the round of 16, and the last eight.
With the move to a 48-team World Cup, reaching the final will now require eight matches instead of the seven previously needed, as the revamped tournament will now have an extra knockout stage: the new round of 32. FIFA’s intention is to protect players and prevent the decisive stages of the World Cup from being overshadowed by a cascade of suspensions.
When is the 2026 World Cup?
Hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11. The tournament is due to run until July 19, when the final is held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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