Argentina defender Nicolás Otamendi and Ecuador midfielder Moisés Caicedo will not have to serve one-game bans at the World Cup despite being sent off in their last qualifying games.
According to Reuters, FIFA said on Friday the move was designed to allow countries to field their strongest squads on the sport’s biggest stage, while preserving disciplinary fairness and the tournament’s overall integrity.
Following consultations with the confederations, the Bureau of the Council unanimously decided to amend Article 10, paragraph 2 of the Regulations for World Cup 2026.
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Under the amendment, ‘single yellow cards and pending one or two-match suspensions as a consequence of cautions in different matches in the preliminary competition, an indirect red card, or a direct red card for denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity or for serious foul play are not carried over to the final competition’.
FIFA added that ‘any other pending match suspensions imposed as a result of a red card in matches in the preliminary competition are carried over to the final competition.’
During the FIFA Council meeting in Vancouver, an amendment was made whereby single yellow cards at the World Cup will be cancelled after the group stage and then again after the quarter-finals.
