Red cards have been a feature of the World Cup since 1930, when Peru’s Placido Galindo became the first player dismissed in the tournament’s history. Nearly a century on, the list of notable sending-offs runs long, from Diego Maradona’s red card against Brazil in 1982 to David Beckham’s dismissal against Argentina in 1998.
With 104 matches scheduled across a 48-team field this summer, the expanded tournament gives more scope for controversy than any previous edition. The World Cup winner odds reflect how open the competition looks, and a single red card at the wrong moment can reshape a team’s entire campaign. The record books show that some players have found themselves on the wrong end of a referee’s decision more than once, and two stand apart entirely.
In this article, we look at the players who have received the most red cards in World Cup history and the moments that defined their dismissals.
Rigobert Song
Cameroon’s Rigobert Song holds the outright record, having been sent off at two separate World Cups. His first dismissal came at the 1994 tournament in the United States, when he was shown a straight red card against Brazil in the group stage. At 17 years old, he was the youngest player ever to receive a red card at a World Cup.
Four years later in France, he was dismissed again, this time against Chile after picking up a second yellow card in the 51st minute. Cameroon were eliminated at the group stage on both occasions. Song went on to captain his country and earn over 100 international caps, but no other player in the tournament’s history has been sent off at two separate editions.
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane joins Song as the only other player dismissed at two World Cups. At the 1998 tournament on home soil, Zidane was sent off against Saudi Arabia in the group stage for a stamp, serving a suspension before returning for the semi-final. France won the tournament.
His second red card is far better remembered. In the 2006 final in Berlin, Zidane headbutted Italy’s Marco Materazzi in the chest in extra time and was dismissed, the final act of his professional career, as he had already announced his retirement before the tournament began. France lost on penalties, and the image of him walking off past the trophy has followed him ever since
Other records worth noting
Uruguay’s Jose Batista holds the record for the fastest red card in World Cup history, dismissed after just 56 seconds against Scotland in 1986. At the 1990 final in Rome, Argentina’s Pedro Monzon and Gustavo Dezotti were both sent off in the same match, leaving their side to finish with nine men, a record for a World Cup final. Brazil and Argentina share the record for the most dismissals by a single nation, with 11 each across the tournament’s history.
The 2006 World Cup in Germany produced the most red cards of any edition, with 28 players dismissed across 64 matches. A single round-of-16 tie between Portugal and the Netherlands saw four players sent off, two from each side, in what became known as the Battle of Nuremberg.
Whether the 2026 edition, with its larger format and higher match count, can rival that record remains to be seen. For those tracking the tournament through the football bet markets, discipline is rarely far from the conversation at a World Cup, and the history books suggest it never will be.