Overview
- FIFA's Bureau amended the World Cup regulations Friday, wiping single yellow cards and most one- or two-match qualifier bans from the finals.
- The decision lets Argentina's Nicolas Otamendi and Ecuador's Moises Caicedo play their openers despite red cards in September qualifying.
- FIFA said serious red-card suspensions still carry into the finals, and lighter bans will be served in other competitions after the tournament.
- The Bureau is led by Gianni Infantino with confederation presidents, and AFA and CONMEBOL's Alejandro Dominguez lobbied for the change.
- The move follows a ruling that deferred Cristiano Ronaldo's qualifier ban and aligns with new resets for yellow cards after the group stage and quarterfinals, with the World Cup starting June 11 in North America.