Following consultation with the confederations, the Bureau of the Council has unanimously decided to amend article 10 paragraph 2 of the Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ as follows:

“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. 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.”

This decision has been taken to ensure that Participating Member Associations can compete with their strongest possible squads on the biggest stage of men’s international football, while striking a balance between upholding disciplinary integrity and maintaining the quality, fairness and global appeal of the tournament.

At its meeting held in Vancouver on 28 April 2026, the FIFA Council approved another 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 quarter-finals.