The Battle of Nuremberg — 16 Yellows, 4 Reds, One Referee's Nightmare

Portugal vs Netherlands, June 25, 2006, referee Valentin Ivanov. This match holds the World Cup record for disciplinary chaos: 16 yellow cards and 4 red cards. The match devolved in the fifth minute when Khalid Boulahrouz committed a high-boot tackle on Cristiano Ronaldo. Ivanov's failure to issue an immediate red card caused total breakdown of control — retaliatory headbutts including Luís Figo on Mark van Bommel, tactical handballs, sideline brawls. FIFA President Sepp Blatter said the referee should have given himself a yellow card. Ivanov was dropped for the remainder of the tournament. The record would stand until the 2022 Netherlands vs Argentina quarter-final, when Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz issued 18 yellow cards — 16 to players, 2 to coaching staff.