Chelsea star pardoned and will face Ivory Coast in their WC opener

Moises Caicedo will be available for Ecuador's opening World Cup match after FIFA confirmed a major change to its suspension regulations ahead of the 2026 tournament.

The Chelsea midfielder had been expected to miss his side's opener against the Ivory Coast on June 14 after being sent off for a second yellow card in the final qualifiers match against Argentina last September.

Under previous rules, the suspension would have carried over into the World Cup itself. However, FIFA announced on Friday that yellow-card suspensions and certain red-card bans picked up during qualifying will no longer transfer into the tournament.

The governing body said the decision was made to ensure nations could compete "with their strongest possible squads on the biggest stage of men's international football," while also maintaining "fairness and disciplinary integrity."

The new ruling applies to: accumulated yellow cards, pending one or two-match suspensions, indirect red cards, and red cards for denying goalscoring opportunities or serious foul play.

More serious disciplinary punishments will still carry over into the World Cup.

Caicedo's availability is a huge lift for Ecuador, with the 24-year-old widely regarded as one of the team's most important players. The midfielder has already earned 60 international caps and remains central to Ecuador's ambitions in Group E, where they will also face Germany and Curacao.

The ruling also benefits veteran Nicolas Otamendi, who was shown a straight red card for Argentina in the same qualifier but will now be eligible for their opening game against Algeria.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo remains available for Portugal after FIFA previously suspended the final two matches of his three-game ban stemming from a red card against the Republic of Ireland.