Unlike the traditional yellow and red cards, the green card is specifically for coaches and is used to contest a referee’s decision and request a review via video technology, similar to the ‘challenge right’ used in sports like tennis and basketball. The Moroccan team was the first to use this innovation during their match against Spain when coach Mohamed Wahbi raised the green card in the 78th minute to contest a penalty awarded to the Spanish team. After reviewing the video, the decision was overturned, and a warning was issued against the Spanish player for simulation. Innovations at the Youth World Cup were not limited to the green card; referees are also experimenting with using microphones to explain their decisions to the audience in stadiums, aiming to enhance transparency and provide a more interactive experience for fans. Through these experiments, FIFA once again confirms that youth tournaments serve as a ‘vital laboratory’ for developing the game and introducing ideas that could make a qualitative leap in the future of global football.
