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≡ DISCIPLINE OR CHAOS? ≡
FIFA gives out awards for “Fair Play,” but it also publishes lists of disciplinary sanctions for various issues related to the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying matches being played in the five regional confederations in Africa, Asia, Europe, North American and the Caribbean, Oceania and South Africa.
The newest list, published on 5 November contained 54 more incidents which involved 33 federations:
Armenia, Benin, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (2 sanctions), Curacao (2), Czech Republic. El Salvador (2), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy (2), Kosovo (2), Latvia, Libya, Luxembourg, Norway, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Serbia, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Wales
The heaviest sanction was a CHF 87,500 fine against the Serbian federation involving an 11 October match against Albania, with:
● “Misconduct of players and officials
● “Team misconduct
● “Discrimination and racist abuse
● “Order and security at matches
● “Causing a disturbance during national anthems”
The number of fans allowed to attend the next Serbian match was reduced by 25%.
The Romanian federation was fined CHF 57,000, had its next match spectator limited reduced by 15% and a “prevention plan” is to be implemented due to:
“Discrimination and racist abuse, Order and security at matches, Failure to comply with and implement existing safety rules and take every safety precaution, Invasion or attempted invasion of the field of play, Lighting of fireworks or any other objects, Use of gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit a message that is not appropriate for a sports event.”
As for players (and one coach), there were 17 involved, from 14 federations, including:
Andorra (2), Armenia, Burundi, Comoros, Gabon, Honduras. Indonesia (2), Luxembourg, Qatar, Sao Tome (coach), Saudi Arabia (2), South Africa, United Arab Emirates, and Zimbabwe.
All but one received a CHF 5,000 fine and suspensions from one to four matches. The UAE’s Matar Obaid Saeed Mesfer Al Dhaheri was sanctioned for “Misconduct of players and officials, Unsporting behaviour towards an opponent or a person other than a match official, Assault on a match official” and received a CHF 10,000 fine and a 16-match suspension!
So, with still some matches to be played, the four reports on 2026 World Cup qualifiers published so far this year:
● 05 Nov.: 54 incidents (17 players)
● 07 Oct.: 72 incidents (20 players)
● 28 Aug.: 41 incidents (10 players)
● 22 May: 53 incidents (23 players)
All together, that’s 220 incidents this year along, including sanctions on 70 players.
That’s a lot of sanctions at a lot of matches, especially in a sport which champions fair play.
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