Rice, Bellingham and Guehi among four England players one yellow card from semi-final ban

Four England players face the prospect of missing a World Cup semi-final through yellow card accumulation as Thomas Tuchel’s side prepare to face Norway in the quarter-finals on Saturday in Miami.

Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Marc Guehi and Nico O’Reilly each carry a booking from the previous knockout rounds. Under FIFA tournament regulations, a second yellow card in a separate fixture triggers an automatic one-match ban, meaning any of the four who are cautioned against Norway would be suspended for the last-four stage.

The timing of the rule is significant. FIFA clears yellow card tallies after the quarter-final stage, so if all four players avoid a booking on Saturday and England advance, their cautions are wiped. From the semi-finals onwards, only a red card can result in a suspension for the final — no player can be ruled out of the World Cup final through yellow card accumulation in the semi-final.

England are already without centre-back Jarell Quansah for the Norway match. The 23-year-old was shown a straight red card in the 54th minute of England’s 3-2 last-16 win over Mexico, following a heavy sliding tackle on Jesus Gallardo. A direct red card carries an automatic one-match ban under FIFA rules, ruling him out of the quarter-final.

However, Quansah’s absence could extend further. FIFA classified the challenge as a breach of Article 14 of their disciplinary code — serious foul play — which triggers a two-game suspension rather than the standard one. Should England beat Norway, Quansah will also miss the semi-final, and can only return if Tuchel’s side reach the World Cup final.