Inglewood: The 2026 FIFA World Cup has already matched the combined red card tally of the 2018 and 2022 editions, with eight dismissals recorded so far, according to Fox Sports.
The latest incident came during Belgium’s Group G match against Iran, where Nathan Ngoy was sent off in the 66th minute for a foul on Mehdi Taremi. Belgium were reduced to 10 men, and the match ended in a 0-0 draw.
Of the eight red cards shown so far in the tournament, six have been straight red cards, indicating a sharp rise in disciplinary actions compared to previous editions. Both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups saw only four red cards each.
Other dismissals include Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón following a VAR review, Qatar’s Assim Madibo and Homam Ahmed against Canada, Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemović versus Switzerland, and Mexico’s César Montes against South Africa.
With the tournament still in its early stages, officials may soon surpass the 10-red-card mark seen in 2014 and potentially approach the 2010 record of 17 dismissals.