Manchester City’s Rico Lewis banned three matches Club World Cup

Manchester City defender Rico Lewis has been handed a three-match ban by FIFA following his red card for a tackle deemed as serious foul play during the Club World Cup opener against Wydad Casablanca. The 20-year-old full-back received the red card in the 88th minute of the 2-0 win, initially resulting in a one-match suspension that he served during the 6-0 victory over Al Ain. However, a FIFA disciplinary committee extended the suspension by two additional matches, ruling that the tackle endangered an opponent's safety. City appealed the decision but the appeal was unsuccessful, meaning Lewis will miss the crucial final group game against Juventus and the subsequent last-16 knockout match. Pep Guardiola criticized the red card as unnecessary, noting that Lewis had cleanly won the ball and had no intention to harm the opponent, but accepted the referee's decision after VAR review. The suspension impacts Manchester City's squad options as they aim to top their group and progress in the Club World Cup.