According to FIFA, one yellow card will be revoked after the group stage and again after the quarter-finals.
Published April 29, 2026
FIFA has tweaked its World Cup yellow card rules, reducing the number of players suspended for important elimination games and canceling one yellow card after the group stage and quarter-finals.
An additional amnesty for yellow cards, which would twice erase a player’s disciplinary record during an expansion tournament in North America, was proposed at a FIFA board meeting on Tuesday.
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FIFA subsequently released a statement approving the change.
“Reflecting the expanded format with an additional knockout round, the FIFA Council has confirmed amendments to the rules for the 2026 FIFA World Cup under which one yellow card in the final tournament will be canceled after the group stage and again after the quarter-finals.”
In the last World Cup, a player had to receive a one-match suspension if shown a yellow card in two different matches, but in previous tournaments one yellow card was revoked at the quarter-final stage. This ensured that no player would miss out on the final by receiving a yellow card in the semi-finals.
The expansion of the World Cup format to 48 teams and the addition of a round of 32 knockout stage led to an overhaul of FIFA aimed at keeping players on the pitch.
FIFA canceled the disciplinary records of players with one yellow card after three group stage matches and started a new knockout phase. The second amnesty after the quarter-finals will apply to players who have received one yellow card in the last three finals and whose teams have reached the semi-finals.
FIFA also announced on Tuesday that the financial resources allocated to all 48 teams participating in the World Cup will be further increased by 15% to a total of $871 million, or just over $18 million per team.
The new numbers include an increase in reserve funds per team from $1.5 million to $2.5 million and an increase in qualifying money from $9 million to $10 million.
The World Cup will be held from June 11th to July 19th in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
