With the second round of World Cup 2026 group stage matches well underway, teams are starting to prepare for the knockout stage with USA, Mexico and Germany already there.
Those teams may well consider the potential for suspensions in the last 32 should any of their players accumulate a second yellow card in that final group stage match.
Clint Dempsey analysed why teams may take the risk over players featuring in a third game, even with a ban on the horizon should they pick up one more yellow card.
“It’s different to World Cups in the past, way more rest, starters who played against Australia, who do not play against Turkey, that’s 12 days without playing a game,” the forward USA forward told FS1. “If you’re Christian Pulisic, that’s 18 days without playing a game. It’s important Pochettino gets that right, he’s got everything right so far. But you need the best chemistry in the team.”
So what are the yellow card rules for the World Cup 2026?
With 48 teams and a new last 32 round, Fifa had an issue with suspensions due to yellow card accumulation and more games, with the added risk of key players missing games during the tournament.
To combat that, Fifa will wipe the slate clean twice, instead of once previously. Yellow cards will be wiped after the group stage ahead of the knockout stage, then once more after the quarterfinals, preventing a final suspension due to just two yellow cards earned beforehand.
But with two yellow cards before that cutoff, including just two across three group stage games, players will trigger an automatic one-game ban.
This has already been seen by South Africa’s Teboho Mokoena, who will be unavailable Bafana Bafana’s upcoming crunch third match against South Korea on Wednesday.
