World Cup 2026 referee terror: Records from earlier tournaments broken

The second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage has barely begun, yet the tournament has already surpassed previous editions in terms of toughness and referees’ uncompromising approach, according to La Voz del Deporte.

A notable surge in refereeing strictness occurred during the second round of Group B matches.

First, in Switzerland’s 4-1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic was sent off. His dismissal was the fourth red card of the tournament, already matching the final totals recorded at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

More red cards followed in Canada’s 6-0 win over Qatar. Match referee Cristian Garay of Chile showed red cards to two Qatari players, Homam Ahmed and Assim Madibo. Two dismissals in a single match immediately raised the tournament total to six red cards, moving the 2026 World Cup into the top 10 dirtiest tournaments in history.

Who else made unwanted history

The first three red cards of the tournament came in the emotional opening match between Mexico and South Africa. Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio sent off South Africans Sfivelo Sitole and Themba Zwane, as well as Mexican defender Cesar Montes.

The pace of the current tournament is remarkable. At both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, referees showed only four red cards across all 64 matches. At the 2026 World Cup, just 27 games have been played so far, and that figure has already been surpassed.

However, teams and referees are still far from the record.

The 2006 World Cup in Germany remains the most card-heavy tournament in history, with 28 red cards. It was also the tournament in which Ukrainian defender Vladyslav Vashchuk was sent off against Spain.

Second place belongs to the 1998 World Cup in France, which saw 22 red cards.

The cleanest tournaments were the 1950 and 1970 World Cups, where no players were sent off at all. Referees showed only one red card at each of the first two World Cups, in 1930 and 1934.

With six red cards so far, the 2026 World Cup currently ranks eighth in tournament history.