Yellow cards are a common part of football matches, and you'll be hard pressed to find a game where a single one isn't handed out by the referee.
Yellow cards can be given out for bad fouls, consistent fouling from one player, dissent or time wasting. They serve as a warning to the player to change their behaviour on the pitch, as if they don't they could receive a second yellow card that results in them being expelled for the rest of the game and the next match.
However, players can also miss matches if they receive too many yellow cards in a row. In shorter international tournaments such as the World Cup, if a player receives yellow cards across two matches they can be suspended for the next match.
This can be hugely detrimental to a team, especially as we near the latter stages of the competition.
The Sporting News looks at which players need to be careful in their 2022 World Cup quarterfinal matches.
MORE: Explaining FIFA yellow and red card rules
When are World Cup yellow cards wiped away?
World Cup yellow cards accumulate from the start of the tournament until after quarterfinal matches are played.
That means yellow cards picked up in the group stages can carry over into quarterfinal games and could see a player suspended for the semifinals if they were to pick up another.
World Cup quarterfinal players on yellow card warnings
This is a list of players who are currently carrying a yellow card against their name and will miss their team's semifinal if they receive another caution in the quarterfinals.
Argentina duo Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuna are already confirmed to miss the last-four clash against Croatia after being booked for a second time in the knockouts in the penalty shootout win over the Netherlands.
In Morocco's shock win over Portugal, substitute Walid Cheddira was sent off in the final minutes of the match meaning he'll miss the semifinal.
| Nation | Player | Quarterfinal Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| France | Jules Kounde | England |
| France | Aurelien Tchouameni | England |
Can players be suspended for World Cup final?
In what is positive news for players and fans alike, FIFA recently introduced new rules that mean yellow cards are wiped after the quarterfinals.
This means that if a player receives a yellow card in his quarterfinal match and in the semifinal as well, he will not be suspended for the final should his side make it that far.
This means there will be no repeats of the famous scene at the 1990 World Cup, where England's Paul Gascoigne received a yellow card for a lunging foul in their semifinal against Germany, with the attacking midfielder visibly in tears after receiving the caution that would have kept him out of the final. As it transpired, England would lose the match on penalties, but it is still remembered well to this day.
Germany's Michael Ballack also received the same fate in 2002, and it would cost Germany as without their key midfielder they lost 2-0 in the final to a Ronaldo-inspired Brazil.
Players can still be suspended for the final if they receive a red card in their semifinal match, however.