Ahead of the 2026 World Cup quarterfinal matches, Achraf Hakimi, Jude Bellingham, and Michael Olise are among the players at risk of suspension due to yellow card accumulation. With the quarterfinal bracket now set, 17 players across the eight remaining teams are one yellow card away from missing a potential semifinal appearance at the 2026 World Cup.
England and Morocco lead the list with four players apiece in danger of suspension, while Switzerland follow with three players and France round out the podium with two.
The risk comes down to how FIFA’s disciplinary rules stack across the knockout rounds. Any player booked in two of the three matches spanning the Round of 32, Round of 16, and quarterfinals will be automatically suspended for the semifinals, should their team advance that far.
Yellow cards reset twice during the tournament: once after the group stage, and again after the quarterfinals. That means no player can be suspended for the final over card accumulation — the only way to miss that match is with a red card.
Jude Bellingham #10 of England receives a yellow card. (Getty Images)
The biggest names on the list
Among the players on the edge of missing a potential semifinal, a handful of genuine stars will need to be extra careful in their matches. Achraf Hakimi is one of those at risk, facing France in the quarterfinals, where Michael Olise finds himself in the same boat.
For England, things get trickier still — in their quarterfinal against Norway, star man Jude Bellingham joins Nico O’Reilly, Declan Rice, and Marc Guehi on the brink of suspension.
The 17 players at risk of missing the World Cup semifinals
Morocco: Issa Diop, Achraf Hakimi, Redouane Khalhal, Bilal El Khannouss.France: Manu Kone, Michael Olise.Spain: Ferran Torres.Belgium: Brandon Mechele.Argentina: Gonzalo Montiel.Switzerland: Granit Xhaka, Denis Zakaria, Miro Muheim.England: Jude Bellingham, Nico O’Reilly, Declan Rice, Marc Guehi.Norway: Antonio Nusa.