The Premier League has become a more graceful environment over the last decade, but there are still plenty of tough characters and frequent foulers around.
Premier League cards 2025-26: Who receives the most yellow and red cards?
These are the players who have received the most yellow, red and combined cards in the Premier League this season.
Premier League cards 2025-26: Which teams receive the most cards?
These are the teams who have received the most yellow, red and combined cards in the Premier League this season.
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What is a card?
According to Opta, cards are ‘collected as yellow, 2nd yellow or red’.
Yellow cards are given to a player by a referee as a caution for a foul deemed more severe than your run-of-the-mill offence. This can be for a tackle, a handball or various other offences, with the context of where it occurred on the pitch also important. Yellow cards can also be handed out as punishment for unsporting behaviour, improper celebrations or dissent.
Two yellow card offences result in a red card being shown to the player, but a straight red card can also be shown for instances of dangerous play, violent conduct, abusive language or behaviour, or denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
A straight red card has a baseline suspension of three games, but can be upgraded depending on the severity of the incident. There are also suspensions handed out for yellow card accumulation and being sent off as a result of two yellow cards.
What does the number of cards received tell us about a player?
The number of cards a player receives can be a clear indicator of their discipline and aggression.
A high number of cards can be used to highlight a player who is an aggressive tackler or physical defender who regularly commits fouls. Or, in the case of someone like Rodri at Manchester City, someone who often commits ‘tactical fouls’ to disrupt opposition counter-attacks in key moments.
Red cards can highlight a player’s tendency to commit serious foul play offences or regularly being the last man, denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Players picking up a lot of red cards may also lack the discipline to walk the tightrope required once you’ve already been shown a yellow card early in a match, or the ability to keep a calm head in big games.
Context is vital, however, with some players picking up a high number of cards by simply being tasked with always stopping the opposition’s most dangerous attacker. Meanwhile, there are plenty of top-quality defenders who pick up fewer cards than their peers, thanks to expert reading of the game and exceptional timing, while some world-class centre-backs have a relatively clean copybook simply thanks to playing on dominant teams.
Who are the most-carded players in Premier League history?
Gareth Barry has the most yellow cards in Premier League history with 123, 21 clear of Wayne Rooney. Lee Bowyer, Scott Parker, Ashley Young and Robbie Savage are unsurprising names to close out the top six for anyone who has watched them play.
George Boateng is the only non-British player to feature in the top 10 for yellow cards, with the Dutchman — formerly of Coventry City, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Hull City — clocking up 85 ‘bookings’ during his career, sitting level with Kevin Nolan.
There are even fewer surprises in the red card rankings, with formidable Everton legend Duncan Ferguson sitting joint-top — alongside former teammate Richard Dunne — on eight red cards.
Former Arsenal hardman Patrick Vieira was also sent off eight times, while Roy Keane, Lee Cattermole, Vinnie Jones and Alan Smith make up a hefty and wholly predictable list of players on seven red cards.
Chelsea (2,086) and Everton (2,024) are the most-booked clubs in Premier League history, with the Toffees also second for red cards (109) — just one behind Arsenal (110).