May 8 (Reuters) - FIFA has amended its World Cup disciplinary rules to ensure that minor suspensions picked up in qualifiers are no longer carried over into the 2026 finals, clearing Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi and Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo for their sides’ opening matches.
FIFA said on Friday the move was designed to allow countries to field their strongest squads on the sport’s biggest stage, while preserving disciplinary fairness and the tournament’s overall integrity.
Following consultations with the confederations, the Bureau of the Council unanimously decided to amend article 10 paragraph 2 of the Regulations for World Cup 2026.
Under the amendment 'single yellow cards and pending one or two-match suspensions as a consequence of cautions in different matches in the preliminary competition, an indirect red card, or a direct red card for denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity or for serious foul play are not carried over to the final competition'.
FIFA added that 'any other pending match suspensions imposed as a result of a red card in matches in the preliminary competition are carried over to the final competition.'
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) said on Thursday that it had carried out negotiations with the FIFA Bureau to allow Otamendi to play in their first match, after the defender was sent off in their final qualifying match against Ecuador in September.
South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) president Alejandro Dominguez was also involved in the negotiations on behalf of Otamendi and Ecuador's midfielder Caicedo who was also sent off in the same match.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo had already been cleared in November to play in the opening games at the World Cup, when FIFA suspended the final two games of a three-match ban for a red card in his side's penultimate qualifying match against Ireland.
At last weeks FIFA Council meeting in Vancouver an amendment was made whereby single yellow cards at the World Cup will be cancelled after the group stage and then again after the quarter-finals.
The World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, begins on June 11.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
