if a player gets a red card in the world cup what happens

A red card in the World Cup means the player is sent off immediately, their team cannot replace them, and they finish the match with 10 players. The player is also suspended for the next match, and FIFA can add extra punishment if the offense is serious.

What it means in practice

• The player must leave the field right away.

• The team plays the rest of the game a player short.

• The player usually misses the next World Cup match.

• FIFA can review the incident and impose a longer ban or a fine in serious cases.

How a red card happens

A player can be shown a red card directly for serious fouls like violent conduct, spitting, dangerous tackles, or denying an obvious goal-scoring chance. A second yellow card in the same match also becomes a red card.

Simple example

If a defender gets a red card in the 70th minute, that team has to play the last 20 minutes with 10 players, and that defender cannot play in the next match either.

TL;DR: red card = sent off now, team down to 10, player banned for at least the next match.