FIFA could implement a major rule change for the 2026 World Cup in North America this summer, wiping away all yellow cards once at the end of the group stage and then again after the quarterfinals, in hopes of avoiding star player absences in key knockout matches.
In past editions of the tournament, there was only one amnesty stage, with yellow cards cleared following the quarterfinals. This resulted in teams at risk of missing select players in two knockout rounds—the round of 16 and the quarterfinals—due to yellow card accumulation.
