No one could have imagined that a group stage match between Morocco and Spain in the ongoing U-20 World Cup in Chile would make history in such a grand way.

After the well-known yellow and red cards familiar to fans, the green card appeared publicly for the first time during the Morocco-Spain match, followed by its use in South Africa’s game against France, and also in Nigeria’s match.

But what is the function of this card? Unlike the traditional cards shown by referees, the green card is reserved exclusively for coaches, allowing them to challenge a referee’s decision and request a video review, similar to the “challenge” system used in sports like basketball or tennis.

The Morocco-Spain match witnessed a pivotal moment when Moroccan coach Mohamed Wahbi used the green card in the 78th minute to contest a penalty awarded to “La Roja”.

After video review, the referee overturned the decision and issued a yellow card to the Spanish player for simulation.

FIFA confirms that this experiment is part of what it calls “video support,” where the idea is being tested for the first time in an official tournament, with a review planned after the competition to decide whether to extend it to other competitions in the future.

The U-20 World Cup also features another notable experiment: referees using microphones to explain some decisions to the fans inside the stadium, a step aimed at enhancing transparency and bringing the game closer to its followers.

Thus, FIFA continues to use youth tournaments as a “football laboratory” to test laws and technologies that may change the face of football in the coming years.