Are yellow cards reset in the quarterfinals of the World Cup? Understand the rule
The knockout phase of the 2026 World Cup requires attention not only on the field, but also to the disciplinary situation of the players. With Brazil and Norway about to face each other in the round of 16, many fans have a question: are yellow cards reset in the quarter-finals?
The answer is yes, but it is worth mentioning that only after the end of the phase. FIFA has defined that accumulated yellow cards will be erased at the end of the quarter-finals. The measure prevents players from being prevented from competing in the World Cup final simply due to the accumulation of warnings.
Despite this, there is an important exception. Whoever enters the quarter-finals hanging and receives another yellow card during the match will be automatically suspended in the semi-final. In other words, resetting does not eliminate punishments that have already been generated.
How does card zeroing work?
Due to the new format of the 2026 World Cup, which now features 48 teams and an extra knockout phase, FIFA changed the card accumulation rule.
Now, the tournament has two reset moments.
The first happened right after the end of the group stage. Thus, all classified teams started the knockout phase without accumulated yellow cards.
The second takes place after the quarter-finals. This way, all players who advance to the semi-finals begin this phase without outstanding warnings, as long as they have not received an automatic suspension in the previous game.
What happens to those who receive a card in the quarterfinals?
The situation depends on the athlete's history.
If the player reaches the quarterfinals without being suspended and receives only one yellow card during the match, the warning will be erased at the end of the match. Thus, he will normally compete in the semi-final.
On the other hand, whoever starts the quarterfinals with an accumulated card from the previous phases and receives another yellow card will be suspended from the semi-final. In this case, the punishment is applied before the reset provided by FIFA.
What about red cards?
The cleaning rule only applies to accumulated yellow cards.
Expulsions due to a direct red card or two yellow cards in the same match continue to generate automatic suspension for the following game, regardless of the stage of the tournament.
As a result, a player can only miss the 2026 World Cup final for disciplinary reasons if he is sent off during the semi-final. The accumulation of yellow cards, in itself, cannot prevent participation in the decision.
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Source: CNN