Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1426 EAT on Wednesday 29 April 2026

FIFA has approved a rule change for the World Cup aimed at reducing suspensions in the knockout stages, with yellow card records set to be wiped at key points in the tournament.

Under the revised regulations, single yellow cards will be cancelled after the group stage and again after the quarterfinals, ensuring players are less likely to miss crucial elimination matches due to accumulated bookings.

The proposal for a double “amnesty” on disciplinary records was discussed at a meeting of FIFA’s ruling council on Tuesday, ahead of the expanded tournament in North America. The move is intended to balance fair play enforcement with the desire to keep star players available for the most decisive stages of the competition.

FIFA has officially confirmed a rule change to its disciplinary system for the 2026 World Cup, introducing two yellow-card “amnesties” designed to reduce player suspensions during the knockout stages.

In a statement, the governing body said: “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.”

Under the previous system, players who received two yellow cards in separate matches were handed a one-match suspension, although cautions were typically wiped after the quarterfinal stage to prevent players missing the final due to bookings in the semifinals.

The new format, which expands the tournament to 48 teams and introduces an additional round of 32, prompted FIFA to review its disciplinary rules in a bid to keep key players available for the latter stages.

As part of the revised system, players will begin the knockout phase with their group-stage yellow cards cleared after the opening three matches. A second reset will then take place after the quarterfinals, removing single bookings accumulated during the knockout rounds for teams that advance to the semifinals.

FIFA has announced an increase in financial support for teams participating in the 2026 World Cup, with total distribution to the 48 qualified nations rising by 15% to $871 million.

According to the governing body, this equates to just over $18 million per team, reflecting the expanded tournament format and higher operational demands.

The revised package includes an increase in preparation funding from $1.5 million to $2.5 million per team, as well as a rise in qualification payments from $9 million to $10 million.

The 2026 World Cup will be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

-Aljazeera

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