Rahimi Halts 83rd-Minute Jersey Removal to Avoid Yellow Card

Q: Has FIFA's war on celebrations turned instinctive joy into a calculated mental test for players?

Not entirely. Rahimi’s mid-celebration hesitation shows that players now police their own joy more carefully, but it reflects a long-standing rule rather than a new FIFA campaign against celebrations. The key restriction is old and explicit: under IFAB’s Law 12, removing a shirt during a goal celebration is a mandatory yellow card. The rule exists mainly to curb time-wasting, prevent provocative or political messages, and protect commercial obligations such as shirt sponsors. It is enforced even if a goal is later ruled out, which makes the risk more consequential in the VAR era. Players can also be cautioned for climbing fences or covering the head with the shirt or a mask. What has changed is the pressure around enforcement. FIFA’s broader 2026 disciplinary environment is stricter on player conduct, and yellow cards matter in tournament play because they can lead to suspensions, even with the new reset points after the group stage and quarterfinals. That makes a split-second celebration decision more than theatrical; it can affect selection and match availability. So the mental test is real, but it is not evidence that spontaneous joy has been outlawed. Players are still free to celebrate, just within defined limits. Rahimi’s reaction captured modern elite football: instinct arrives first, then professional self-control kicks in. That is less a “war on celebrations” than a reminder that at the top level, even joy is managed under the Laws of the Game.

1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 24

83 minutes in, Rahimi slid to the corner flag after scoring and started pulling off his jersey before stopping midway through the celebration.
The replay suggested he remembered that removing a shirt during a goal celebration is a bookable offense, likely avoiding a yellow card in the heat of the moment.