Introduction, Removal & Re-Introduction Of Cards There was initially a bit of confusion over what they were supposed to be given for, with Blackburn Rovers's David Wagstaffe becoming the first player to be show a red card when he argued with the referee after thirty-six minutes of the match.
Plácido Galindo was the first player to be sent off in a World Cup match, playing for Peru against Romania in a 1930 match officiated by Alberto Warnken.
The first time red and yellow cards were used was in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. The cards were an instant hit. Suddenly, everyone could see what decisions the referees were making.
They made their debut in the English game in 1976, and the first player to receive a red one was Blackburn Rovers winger Dave Wagstaffe.
The match with the most dismissals was Portugal vs Netherlands of 2006, when referee Valentin Ivanov dished out 4 red cards, 2 for each team. The referee who has sent off the most players is Arturo Brizio Carter, 7 red cards, in 5 different matches (also a record).
Ronaldo was only red carded on four occasions during his first Old Trafford stint - with two coming against the club's local rivals. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's first ever straight sending off came in a 3-1 defeat to City in January 2006.
The infamous "Battle of Nuremberg" at Euro 2006 saw Russian referee Valentin Ivanov administer four red cards and 16 yellows in the round of 16, which is still the most cards shown in any single FIFA tournament game.
But try 36 red cards in a single game. That is what happened during an Argentinian fifth tier match between Claypole and Victoriano Arenas in 2011. To set the scene, both teams are situated in Buenos Aires, so the game was a local derby. As you would expect, in that case, challenges went flying in from minute one.
A red card is shown by a referee to signify that a player must be sent off. A player who has been sent off is required to leave the field of play immediately, must take no further part in the game and cannot be replaced by a substitute, forcing their team to play with one fewer player.
1. Sergio Ramos – 259 Yellow Cards. This Spaniard is no stranger to being shown a card by a referee, either yellow or red, and he holds multiple disciplinary records overall. Apart from being the player with the most yellow cards, Ramos is also the player with the most red cards.
Gary Lineker
Not only was Lineker never sent off, but he was never even shown a yellow card. That goes for club and country, by the way - across more than 500 games in total.
Wigan Athletic , 1997. In December of 1997, Wigan Atheltic's match at Bristol Rovers saw five red cards, four of which came in the first half.
FIFA does not explicitly state how many red cards would see a game abandoned. However, a match must be brought to an end if a team fields less than seven players. This therefore means that a side can receive no more than four red cards, while there can technically be eight red cards in a game (four for each side).
David Beckham's red card while playing for Paris Saint-Germain at Evian on Sunday night was the ninth sending off of his 21-year career. Beckham's first remains his most infamous.
Racing Club are Argentina's Trophy of Champions winners after claiming a chaotic 2-1 win over Boca Juniors which ended with a record 10 red cards. Boca Juniors had seven players red carded, while Racing Club had another three get their marching orders in a truly bizarre final.
There is no limit to the number of red cards that a referee can give, though the game would be stopped as soon as there are less than 7 players of a team remaining legally on the pitch.
The Netherlands vs Argentina quarter-final match at the Qatar 2022 World Cup had the most yellow cards shown in a single game at the World Cup — 18. The most yellow cards shown in a FIFA World Cup final is 14. This was during the Spain vs Netherlands 2010 World Cup final in South Africa.
Straight red cards for dissent will result in a two-match ban, while dangerous tackles or violent conduct will result in a three-match ban which can be raised to four or more games in extreme cases.
In a move to help clean up dangerous play, the 'full' red card will also make it's return which will mean referees will have the ability to send a player off for deliberate foul play with the team unable to make a replacement. The 20-minute red card will still be in use.