FIFA confirms new World Cup rule on yellow cards to reduce suspensions

FIFA has tweaked World Cup rules on yellow cards to ensure fewer players are suspended for key elimination games, with single yellow cards to be cancelled after the group stage and after the quarterfinals.

An extra amnesty for yellow cards – wiping player disciplinary records twice during the expanded tournament in North America – was proposed at a meeting on Tuesday of FIFA’s ruling council.

Later, FIFA issued a statement approving the change.

“Reflective of the expanded format with an extra knockout round, the FIFA Council confirmed an amendment to the regulations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 whereby single yellow cards in the final competition will be cancelled after the group stage and then again after the quarterfinals,” it said.

At the last World Cup, players had to serve a one-game ban if they were shown a yellow card in two different games, but single yellow cards were cancelled at previous tournaments after the quarterfinals stage. That ensured no player would miss the final for getting a yellow card in the semifinal.

The expanded 48-team World Cup format, with an extra round-of-32 knockout stage, led to the FIFA review aimed at helping keep players on the pitch.

FIFA cleared the disciplinary records of players who have one yellow card after the three-game group stage, so they start the knockout phase afresh. A second amnesty after the quarterfinals will apply to players who got one yellow card during the three previous knockout rounds and whose teams advanced to the semifinals.

FIFA also announced on Tuesday an increase in financial resources to be distributed to all 48 World Cup participating teams by a further 15 percent, totalling $871m, or just over $18m per team.

The new figures include an increase in preparation money from $1.5m to $2.5m per team and an increase in qualification money from $9m to $10m.

The World Cup will be played from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.