FIFA is preparing to change World Cup yellow card rules to ensure fewer players are suspended from key knockout matches in North America.
An additional yellow card amnesty, which would see players’ disciplinary records wiped twice during the expanded tournament, will be proposed at a meeting of FIFA’s ruling council on Tuesday, people familiar with the plan said. The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity as the decision is not yet official.
At the World Cup, players must serve a one-match suspension if they receive a yellow card in two different matches. In previous editions, yellow cards were abolished after the quarter-final.
That ensured that no player would miss the final due to suspension solely for receiving a yellow card in the semi-final.
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The expanded 48-team World Cup format, which includes an additional round of 32 knockout stage, prompted a FIFA review aimed at keeping players on the field.
FIFA is proposing to erase the disciplinary records of players who have one yellow card after the three-match group stage so they can start again in the knockout stages.
A second amnesty after the quarter-finals applies to players who received one yellow card in the three previous knockout rounds and whose team advances to the semi-finals.
Published on April 28, 2026
