Football: First-ever white card shown in a match in Portugal

Every football fan knows about the yellow card and the red card. But white card? Yes, the first ever white card in football history was shown by the referee during a women’s clash between Sporting Lisbon and Benfica.

The white card is meant to recognise acts of fair play during a match, in a bid to ‘improve ethical value in the sport’. The pilot project was implemented in the Portuguese leagues with the guidance of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).

Appreciating medical assistance

The first white card was flashed by the referee when Benfica were leading the game 3-0. When one of the substitute player felt ill in the dugout, medical staff from both teams rushed to assist the player and the issue was dealt with.

In appreciation for the medics, Portuguese referee Catarina Campos decided to show the white card – a move that resulted in massive cheer from the Estadio da Luz crowd.

As equipas médicas de Benfica e Sporting receberam cartão branco após assistirem uma pessoa que se sentiu mal na bancada 👏 pic.twitter.com/ihin0FAlJF

— B24 (@B24PT) January 21, 2023

Benfica went on to win the game 5-0 and advanced to the semi-finals, setting a record for the highest attendance at a women’s match in Portugal.

The yellow and red cards have been a part of the game since they were introduced in the 1970 FIFA World Cup.

New initiatives

The white card has been introduced in Portugal alongside many FIFA initiatives. Football’s international governing body has also introduced concussion substitutes to the game, as well as longer stoppage time, as a deterrent to time wasting tactics which was most notable during the group stage matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.