FIFA mulls yellow card rule change to prevent Stars missing World Cup knockouts

FIFA is weighing a potential overhaul of the yellow card rules at the World Cup, a move that could spare top players from suspension in the tournament’s most critical matches.

Under one proposal being discussed, the accumulation of yellow cards would no longer carry over from the group stage through the quarter-finals, according to The Athletic. The change is designed to reduce the risk of players being ruled out of high-stakes knockout matches due to multiple cautionable offences.

The rule adjustments are scheduled for debate at today’s FIFA Council meeting in Vancouver, just over a year before the 2026 World Cup kicks off across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Currently, players who receive two yellow cards over the course of the tournament — whether in the group stage or later rounds — face a one-match suspension. The proposed alteration would effectively reset the count after the group phase and again after the quarter-finals, ensuring that a single yellow card in the semi-final would not lead to a ban for the final.

FIFA has yet to release any official statement, and any change would require approval from the Council. The talks reflect growing concern over key players being sidelined during the most-watched matches of football’s flagship event.