Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi and Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo will not be required to serve one-match bans at the World Cup after being sent off in their final qualification matches.
The exceptional rulings on Friday are part of a broader amnesty covering all but the most serious disciplinary actions stemming from World Cup qualifiers, authorized by the FIFA Bureau—a committee comprised of FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the presidents of the six continental football confederations.
“Single yellow cards and pending one- or two-match suspensions… are not carried over to the final competition,” FIFA stated, explaining the move was intended to allow teams “to compete with their strongest possible squads on the biggest stage of men’s international football.”
This follows a previous landmark FIFA disciplinary decision that allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to avoid missing any World Cup matches, despite being shown a red card for elbowing an Ireland opponent during Portugal’s penultimate qualifier in November. The remaining two games of his three-match suspension were deferred under a one-year probationary period.
Both Otamendi and Caicedo received red cards during Ecuador’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in September. Otamendi was given a direct red for fouling a striker while clear on goal, while Caicedo earned a second yellow card for a heavy challenge. Their mandatory one-game suspensions will now be served in another competition following the World Cup.
Argentina begins its title defense against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City. The 38-year-old Otamendi, if selected, will likely be playing in his fourth and final World Cup. The Benfica center-back also participated in the tournaments of 2010, 2018, and 2022, playing every minute of all seven Argentina matches in Qatar.
Ecuador kicks off against Ivory Coast on June 14 in Philadelphia. The 24-year-old Chelsea midfielder Caicedo also played in Qatar four years ago.
Friday’s FIFA decision also benefits Qatar defender Tarek Salman, who was sent off against the United Arab Emirates in October. FIFA’s disciplinary panel imposed a two-match ban. The 28-year-old Salman, part of the host nation’s squad in 2022, has been cleared to feature in Qatar’s World Cup opener against Switzerland on June 13 at the San Francisco 49ers’ stadium.
