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In the storied history of the World Cup, there have been plenty of goals, but there have also been plenty of red cards. More than 175 players have been sent off during World Cup games, for everything from mistimed tackles and blatant handballs to headbutting an opposing player.
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Every history is going to have milestones. Here are three of the more memorable landmark reds in World Cup disciplinary history.
Carlos Caszely: First player to get a red card when sent off (1974)
Though plenty of players had been sent off from games early in the World Cup’s history, the tournament did not use the card system for the first nine versions of the tournament. In 1970, FIFA then introduced the inclusion of red and yellow cards to represent cautions. However, no red cards end up getting used during that tournament due to some unusually well-behaved play.
As a result, fans had to wait until 1974 for a player to earn the first official red card at a World Cup, when Chile’s Carlos Caszely made history. During Chile’s first game of the group stage against West Germany, the then-24-year-old forward was sent off in the 67th minute after receiving his second yellow. (One day later, Uruguay’s Julio Montero Castillo would be awarded the first straight red card in tournament history.)
Chile, who was losing 1-0 before Caszely was sent off, was unable to overcome playing down a player. Chile did not end up moving on to the next round.
José Batista: Fastest red card (1986)
It took very little time at all for José Batista to end up in the history books — 56 seconds, to be exact.
At the 1986 World Cup, the Uruguayan defender was sent off with a straight red card in the first minute of a group stage game against Scotland. The red came as a result of a dangerous tackle on Scotland midfielder Gordon Strachan, with the referee taking little time before showing Batista the card.
Despite being down a player for nearly the entire game, Uruguay held strong, finishing with a 0-0 draw. Uruguay’s two draws ended up being enough for the team to advance to the knockout round after finishing third in the standings, while Scotland did not advance.
Batista’s 56-second red card still stands as a World Cup record.
Gialuca Pagliuca: First goalkeeper to get sent off (1994)
Italian keeper Gianluca Pagliuca made his own kind of history in 1994, becoming the first player in his position to get a red card during a World Cup game. In Italy’s second group stage game, against Norway, Pagliuca ran out of the box to make a save and touched the ball with his hands, promptly getting sent off for the offense.
Italy, however, managed to overcome the man disadvantage to score in the 69th minute and win the game. That group, Group E, ended with all four teams getting four points, leading to a series of tiebreakers that left Norway in last place due to goal differential. Italy advanced out of third place in the group after the unprecedented finish.
In total, only three goalkeepers have been sent off from the World Cup. In 2010, South Africa keeper Itumeleng Khune joined the list after he clipped the feet of Uruguay’s Luis Suárez in the box; in 2022, Wales’ Wayne Hennessey became the third goalie to get sent off after a dangerous high-leg collision with Iran’s Mehdi Taremi outside the box.