U17 World Cup: Saudi Arabia Picked Up 2 Reds & 5 Yellows in First Match, Eliminated by Mexico on Fair Play Points

The group stage of the 2025 Qatar U17 World Cup has concluded. In the final rankings for qualification, Saudi Arabia and Mexico finished third in the group with identical points, goal difference, and total goals. Ultimately, Mexico narrowly advanced thanks to their advantage in fair play points, while Saudi Arabia suffered a regrettable elimination.

Saudi Arabia’s final fair play points stood at -13, compared to Mexico’s -7. However, the Saudi side only received 3 yellow cards in their last two matches, resulting in just 3 points deducted. The problem lied in their first group game, where they were penalized 10 fair play points for picking up 2 red cards and 5 yellow cards—surpassing the total points deducted from Mexico throughout the entire group stage.

Looking back at that match, Saudi Arabia failed to capitalize on their numerical advantage after Austria’s first red card. In the 56th minute, a Saudi player was shown a straight red card for hauling down an opponent while tracking back in defense.

In the stoppage time of that game, a Saudi defender fouled again in the penalty area and received a second yellow card (resulting in a red card). The match ultimately saw Saudi Arabia pick up 2 red cards and 5 yellow cards, with 10 fair play points deducted in a single game. (Points deduction rules: yellow card -1, second yellow leading to red -3, straight red card -4, yellow card followed by straight red -5; however, a player is only deducted points once per match.)