World Cup 2026 yellow card rules: Bellingham, Rice & Olise among players walking disciplinary tightrope

Yellow cards picked up during the group stage were wiped before the last 32, so Rice’s caution in the goalless draw with Ghana is irrelevant in the knockout stages.

The same would have applied to Jarell Quansah, who was cautioned in England’s subsequent group game against Panama, but the Bayer Leverkusen defender will miss his team’s quarter-final through suspension after being sent off against Mexico – pending a possible England appeal.

Players who pick up two yellow cards across the last 32, last 16 and quarter-finals serve an automatic one-match ban.

If a player is cautioned in the last 32 and the last 16, he would miss their teams’ quarter-final. Bookings in either the last 32 or the last 16, and then the quarter-final, would rule him out of the semi-final.

Arsenal midfielder Rice was booked in the opening minute of the victory at the Azteca Stadium, while Manchester City duo Guehi and O’Reilly were cautioned after half-time.

Bellingham, player of the match against the co-hosts, was was shown a yellow card 19 minutes into the Three Lions’ victory over DR Congo.

However, as yellow cards are reset again after the quarter-finals, a player would only miss the final through suspension if he is sent off in the semi-final.

Players who are given their marching orders at the World Cup receive a one-match suspension.

This applies to both straight red cards and red cards that are the result of the same player being cautioned twice in the same game.

Fifa does hold the right to impose “further sanctions” if it deems it necessary.