England are gearing up for their World Cup quarter-final showdown with Norway this evening.
Victory over the Scandinavians in Miami would leave England just two games away from claiming their first trophy since famously winning the World Cup on home soil in 1966.
But several England stars will need to walk a disciplinary tightrope against Norway, knowing that a booking in Florida tonight would rule them out of a potential semi-final.
Here’s how the yellow and red card rules work at the World Cup and which England players are at risk of suspension.
Exclusive analysis of England v Norway
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How do the yellow cards work in the knockouts?
Yellow cards will be wiped after the quarter-final stage.
This means that any player who picks up two yellow cards in the Round of 32, Round of 16 or quarter-finals will be suspended for the semi-finals.
But given the amnesty after the quarter-final stage, a yellow card in the semi-final will not rule a player out of the final.
This ensures that only a red card in the semi-final will rule a player out of featuring in a World Cup final – undoubtedly the biggest match of any player’s career.
England players at risk of suspension
A total of four England players head into the Norway clash with the threat of being suspended for the semi-finals – should the Three Lions get there.
Jude Bellingham was booked in the win over DR Congo but managed to avoid a repeat offence against Mexico – although the threat of a suspension still hangs over him against the Norwegians.
Declan Rice, meanwhile, was booked after barely a minute had been played against Mexico in the Round of 16, with Harry Kane and Nico O’Reilly joining him in the referee’s notebook in the second half.
How many games do players miss with a red card?
FIFA rules state that any player picking up a red card in the World Cup will be suspended for the team’s following game, regardless of what stage the competition is at.
This applies to red cards resulting from two yellow cards and straight red cards.
Jarrel Quansah, who was sent off against Mexico, looked set to only miss the Norway game, only for FIFA to increase his ban to two matches.
This means he will not be able to play again until the final, if England make it that far.