IFAB Approves Two New Red-Card Offenses for 2026 World Cup

Overview

• IFAB, meeting in Vancouver on Tuesday, unanimously adopted two changes to the Laws of the Game proposed by FIFA.
• Players who cover their mouth during a confrontation may be shown a red card, a step tied by coverage to February’s Prestianni–Vinicius Jr. incident and aimed at curbing racist abuse.
• Players who leave the field to protest a referee’s decision can be sent off, with staff who incite a walk-off also liable and teams that cause an abandonment set to forfeit in principle.
• FIFA said the updates will be applied at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the United States, and Mexico and will be communicated to all participating teams in the coming weeks.
• FIFA also clarified tournament discipline by resetting yellow cards at the start of the knockout rounds and again after the quarterfinals.