The imminent World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is set to break an array of records.
World Cup 2026 kicks off at Estadio Azteca, where Mexico meet South Africa on Thursday, June 11, and ends with the final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, July 19.
By the time that final is played, it's very likely the World Cup will already have seen more red cards than any previous major tournament. It's all but inevitable to break the World Cup record for yellow cards.
Why World Cup 2026 could break red and yellow card records
Lots of World Cup tournaments have been at the forefront of tweaks to the letter and application of the Laws of the Game. The last World Cup in the United States had an increased strictness with regard to tackling from behind. Diving has been a World Cup focus too, and more recently there was a fresh look at VAR for World Cup 2018.
World Cup 2026 will see the introduction of automatic red cards for players who cover their mouths while they're arguing with opponents.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which has jurisdiction over the Laws of the Game, has passed an update in response to an incident in the Champions League in which Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid and Brazil star Vinicius Jr.
Prestianni denied making a racial comment but was banned for six matches, three of them suspended for two years, after admitting to making a homophobic comment.
The incident was noteworthy because it wasn't possible to provide lipreading evidence either way because Prestianni covered his mouth with his shirt. The one-cap Argentina man would be contravening the new rule if he were to do the same again this summer.
"At the discretion of the competition organiser, any player covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card," announced IFAB after voting in the change.
As the World Cup competition organiser FIFA, which holds half of the IFAB voting rights, has already made clear that it would introduce the rule if it passed.
That possible uplift in dismissals pales in comparison with the increased number of matches.
World Cup 2026 is a 48-team tournament, making it the biggest World Cup ever with a massive 104 fixtures, up from 64 matches for a 32-team tournament four years ago.
It's hard to imagine how such growth won't come with a record number of yellow cards. World Cup 2006 saw 345 yellow cards across its 64 matches, the most at any previous World Cup at an average of more than five yellow cards per match.
World Cup 2026 suspension rules changed by FIFA
World Cup 2026 referees would only need to serve up an average of a little over three yellow cards per match to set a new record.
The first 48-team World Cup also means an additional round. World Cup 2026 will be the first to have a round of 32, meaning more chances for individual players to get booked and a rejig of the suspension system, also now ratified by FIFA.
A previous change ruled that players with one yellow card would have it wiped after the quarter-finals, preventing players from being banned for the final on the basis of two yellow cards in the tournament.
With the additional round now installed, FIFA has moved to reduce the risk of a knock-on increase in players missing the semi-finals for the same reason.
"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 quarter-finals," announced the world governing body.
