Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterFor every football supporter of a certain age, the thought of a player receiving a yellow card in the semi-final of a World Cup and knowing hell miss the final conjures up the same image.World Cup 1990 was a lifetime ago but the image of inconsolable England midfielder Paul Gascoigne after he was booked against West Germany became every bit as iconic as the player himself.As Bobby Robsons England dug deep to reach the final in Rome that summer, Gascoigne knew that he would be suspended on the basis of accumulated yellow cards. It was academic in the end but Gazzas tears left an indelible mark on English football folklore.Play our free match predictor and win �1kWill players be suspended for the World Cup final?Gascoigne isnt alone in potentially missing a career-defining match because of a yellow card suspension but there has been a movement away from punishing players so severely, not least because major tournaments are bigger and longer than ever.In 1990, the World Cup had half as many teams as World Cup 2026, which started with 48 teams and has an additional round of 32 for the first time. As such, the nations reaching the last four will play eight times and accumulated bookings could become a real problem. You may like Do players miss the semi-final if they get booked in the quarter-final? Four England players at risk of semi-final suspension How do suspensions work in the knock-out rounds of World Cup 2026? FIFA mitigates the issue of unwarranted suspensions by way of a yellow card amnesty. At a certain point in the World Cup, yellow cards that havent already earned a ban for the player question are wiped.World Cup 2026 is the first major tournament where this amnesty has happened twice. Yellow cards were relieved of their suspension potential at the end of the group stage and again after the quarter-finals, meaning players merely had to avoid two bookings in three matches twice to ensure they wouldnt get a ban for accumulated yellows.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.As we wait patiently in the foothills before climbing into the semi-finals, no player from Spain, France, England or Argentina has a yellow card next to his name. Any player collecting a yellow card in the last four will remain eligible for Sundays World Cup final.Jude Bellingham of England and Argentinas Gonzalo Montiel were both cautioned in the round of 32. In the round of 16, Manu Kone, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola were all booked for France, and Ferran Torres for Spain.Marc Guehi, Nico OReilly and Declan Rice picked up yellow cards on the pitch for England during their game against Mexico. Jordan Henderson got a booking without playing at the Azteca.Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte (Spain) were booked in the quarter-finals, as were Lautaro Martinez, Thiago Almada and Manuel Lopez (Argentina), so a total of 15 players have had their yellow cards wiped before the semi-finals and can be booked, once, without missing the final.Players who are sent off for any reason in the semi-finals, including two yellow cards, will still be suspended for the final at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.TOPICSFranceSpainArgentinaEnglandWorld CupWorld Cup 2026Chris NeeChris is a Warwickshire-based freelance football writer specialising in West Midlands football, the Premier League, the EFL and the J.League. He is the author of the High Protein Beef Paste football newsletter and owner of Aston Villa Review. He supports Coventry Sphinx.
