Sunday, July 12, 2026 14:38 | 2 minutes read

The 2026 World Cup has witnessed an unprecedented increase in the number of red cards, as referees in the first seven days of the tournament surpassed the total red cards shown in the 2018 edition in Russia and the 2022 edition in Qatar combined, reflecting stricter enforcement of the laws of the game during the current tournament.

According to FOX Sports, referees needed only 27 matches to show 14 red cards, compared to just four red cards in each of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, bringing the 2026 World Cup close early to the historical record set in the 2006 edition in Germany, which had 28 red cards.

Sun, 12 2026

The send-offs contributed to changing the course of several matches, as they led to penalty kicks or gave opponents a numerical advantage that affected the results of knockout stage matches.

Former international referee Mark Clattenburg, a rules analyst for FOX Sports, said the increase in send-offs is due to mistakes made by players inside or near the penalty area, often as a result of haste or pressure during decisive matches.

He added that the expansion of team rosters to 26 players may make some teams more capable of compensating for absences due to suspension, but it does not reduce the impact of red cards on the flow of matches, especially in the knockout rounds.

Tournament data indicates that the 2026 edition has so far recorded 14 red cards, compared to four each in the 2022 and 2018 World Cups, 10 in 2014, and 17 in 2010, while the record of 28 red cards in the 2006 World Cup still stands.

Critical cards in knockout matches

Among the most notable send-offs in the tournament is the red card received by Switzerland striker Breel Embolo during the quarter-final match against Argentina, after receiving a second yellow card for diving inside the penalty area, forcing his team to continue the match with ten players.

The case of United States striker Folarin Balogun also sparked widespread controversy, after he scored a goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 before being sent off in the 64th minute, becoming the first player to score a goal and receive a red card in a World Cup knockout match since Frenchman Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final.

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The incident saw political and media interaction after reports circulated about US President Donald Trump intervening with the President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to cancel the card, allowing the player to participate in the next match against Belgium, but the suspension remained, before the US team exited the tournament with a 4-1 loss.

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