The Euro 2024 final is fast-approaching, but do yellow cards picked up in the semis put players at risk of missing it?
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Yellow cards at Euro 2024 have become an issue for some nations, with suspenions seeing key players missing from important knockout games - and, with the final approaching on Sunday, fans are worrying that another booking in the semi-final could see players miss the tournament's showpiece event.
Marc Guehi missed the quarter-final against Switzerland after picking up his second yellow of the tournament in the last 16 against Slovakia, while Rodri has also had to serve time in the stands. His Spain team-mate Robin Le Normand is out of the semi-final with France, too, after collecting his second booking of Euro 2024 against Germany.
But do yellow cards in the Euro 2024 semis count towards the final? FourFourTwo details everything you need to know below.
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Do yellow cards at Euro 2024 count towards the final?
Earlier on in the tournament, two yellow cards were enough for a player to be suspended for their next match. Fortunately, though, all yellow cards were wiped after the completion of the quarter-finals, meaning every player in the semi-finals has a clean slate ahead of the final.
That's not to say that suspensions for the final still aren't possible, however: two yellow cards or a straight red card will be enough to miss the Euro 2024 final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Sunday.
Guehi picks up his second yellow of the tournament (Image credit: Getty Images)
This rule change has only been a recent one at international tournaments, occurring in order to give as many players as possible the opportunity to compete in the final.
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Arguably the most famous incident of yellow card accumulation is Paul Gascoigne at World Cup 1990, when he started crying on the pitch after receiving his second yellow card of the tournament against West Germany in the semi-final.
Gazza cried on the pitch after collecting his second yellow
While England ultimately lost that day, meaning he wouldn't be playing in the final regardless, rule makers decided that it seemed unfair on key players being suspended for the most important match.
That ensures Rodri can still perform his customary foul in Spain vs France on Tuesday night to stop a counter-attack and risk picking up a yellow card without any repercussions for the final, or Jude Bellingham ripping his shirt off as he saves England (again) in the dying minutes against the Netherlands.
Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
