The records that look set to be broken

The record for the most red cards at a World Cup stands at 28, in 2006. In the 2026 competition, six reds have been brandished already. Three red cards were shown in Mexico's opening-game win over South Africa, before Bosnia-Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemovic and Qatar duo Assim Omer Madibo and Homam el Amin soon followed. This tally is more than the past two World Cups, where four red cards were shown in Qatar and Russia. There is still a way to go for this record, but there is an awful lot of football to come.