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Important update on 1476AMFIFA to soften yellow card suspension rule at World Cup
DPA •  April 29th, 2026 8:14 am
FIFA World Cup | Photo: DPA
FIFA is set to amend its yellow card suspension rules for the World Cup by introducing a second amnesty stage, according to sources cited by Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA).
The BBC also reported that the ruling body plans to scrap accumulated yellow cards after the group stage in addition to after the quarter-finals.
A FIFA Council meeting in Vancouver on Wednesday (NZ time) was set to discuss the issue further.
In general, players are suspended for one match after picking up a second booking at a World Cup tournament.
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However, FIFA introduced an amnesty after the quarter-finals to avoid cases like that of Germany captain Michael Ballack, who missed the 2002 final because he received a second booking in the semi-finals.
The second amnesty stage after the group stage is now to be introduced because the tournament has been expanded from 32 to 48 teams which requires an additional knock-out round, the round of 32.
This also reduces the likelihood of players being suspended for the semi-finals.
The World Cup takes place from June 11 in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
FIFA is holding meetings in Vancouver this week, including its annual congress on Friday.
Sport Nation is an official radio broadcaster of FIFA World Cup 2026 this June/July - download the app today on Google Play and the App Store.
