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FIFA has made its intentions crystal clear — it wants football's biggest stars front and center on the grandest stage — yet its rigid knockout stage suspension rules appear to work directly against that goal.
Soccer's embattled governing body set a questionable precedent by choosing to suspend Cristiano Ronaldo's pending ban ahead of the tournament, giving Roberto Martínez the freedom to field the 41-year-old and ultimately jeopardize Portugal's chances.
Argentina's Nicolás Otamendi and Ecuador's Moisés Caicedo also had their bans lifted following the Ronaldo ruling. At the World Cup itself, FIFA has stirred fresh controversy with the Folarin Balogun saga, effectively undermining its own disciplinary framework amid what appears to be political meddling.
A troubling precedent has now been established as we gear up for an exciting set of quarterfinal clashes. FIFA will be hoping its marquee players steer clear of suspensions heading into the semifinals, but a significant number remain at risk.
Plenty are at risk.
World Cup Knockout Stage Yellow Card Rules
Players who accumulated two yellow cards during the group stage were automatically suspended for their next fixture, whether that was a Matchday 3 game or a round of 32 knockout match.
Bookings were reset at the start of the knockout rounds, though the next clearance doesn't come until after the quarterfinals conclude. This means any player picking up two cautions between the round of 32 and the quarterfinals will face a one-match ban.
No players are currently suspended for the upcoming quarterfinal matches due to yellow card accumulation, but as many as 17 find themselves on a knife's edge with the semifinals looming.
Every Player at Risk of World Cup Semifinal Suspension
All eight quarterfinalists have at least one player just one booking away from being ruled out of the semifinals.
Morocco, who face France on Thursday, and England, set to battle Erling Haaland's Norway in Miami, each have four players teetering on the edge of a damaging suspension.
The Atlas Lions' skipper Achraf Hakimi is among those at risk, alongside centerbacks Issa Diop and Redouane Halhal, and creative midfielder Bilal El Khannouss.
Thomas Tuchel, meanwhile, could be forced to do without Declan Rice, Nico O'Reilly, Marc Guéhi and, most critically, Jude Bellingham if any of them are cautioned against Norway on Saturday. Jarell Quansah is already suspended for the quarterfinal after being sent off at the Estadio Azteca.
Drawing inspiration from the USMNT's approach, France has appealed the yellow card Michael Olise received against Paraguay, leaving him one booking away from missing a potential semifinal against either Spain or Belgium — provided Les Bleus can get past Morocco, naturally. Midfielder Manu Koné also needs to tread carefully.
Granit Xhaka, Denis Zakaria and Miro Muheim were all cautioned for Switzerland during their grueling 120-minute battle with Colombia.
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The remaining four nations each have just one player in jeopardy. Argentina's Gonzalo Montiel and Spain's Ferran Torres are unlikely to feature in the starting lineup against Switzerland and Belgium respectively, while Norway's Antonio Nusa could find himself displaced by Andreas Schjelderup following the Benfica forward's impressive cameo against Brazil.
Belgium's Brandon Mechele, experiencing his first World Cup at the age of 33, has been a cornerstone of the Red Devils' backline. He was booked for a cynical challenge on Senegal's Ismaïla Sarr in the round of 32.