There is a highly unlikely, nightmare scenario where a team could automatically forfeit a match at the 2026 World Cup, and it all comes down to red cards. If a team receives five red cards in a single match, it triggers an automatic forfeit under the Laws of the Game.
According to Law 3 of the Laws of the Game, which FIFA enforces across all its tournaments, a match cannot continue if either team has fewer than seven players on the field. Because a team starts with 11 players, losing five to red cards drops their lineup to six, forcing an immediate abandonment of the match.
While it is incredibly rare, World Cup history is packed with notoriously physical matches filled with yellow and red cards. If it happens in 2026, it would be extraordinary, but not entirely shocking given how intense these games get.
Four red cards should be enough
So far in the 2026 World Cup, we haven’t seen a team hit with five red cards in a single game. However, a June 11 match between South Africa and Mexico saw three players sent off: Sphephelo Sithole (SA), Themba Zwane (SA), and Cesar Montes (MX).
Nathan Ngoy of Belgium receives a red card by Referee Dario Herrera (Getty Images/Jamie Squire)
Meanwhile, the second match to feature multiple red cards was Qatar’s desperate battle against Canada to avoid elimination from the Group Stage. Homam Ahmed and Assim Madibo were both sent off with straight reds.
Red cards for bench players and coaches
It is worth noting that red cards can also be given to bench players and coaches without risking a forfeit. If a substitute or coach gets a red card, they must leave the field or the technical area. If a coach is tossed, they can no longer manage from the sideline. Technically, if every player on the bench were to be sent off, the team would no longer be able to make substitutions.
