Colombia´s Sanchez sees second-quickest World Cup red card

Carlos Sanchez received the second-quickest red card in World Cup history when he was dismissed in Colombia’s World Cup Group H opener against Japan.

The midfielder was sent off after two minutes and 56 seconds in Saransk, having been deemed to have deliberately handled Shinji Kagawa’s 20-yard drive with his arm.

Referee Damir Skomina pointed to the penalty spot and Kagawa beat David Ospina from 12 yards, but Sanchez’s dismissal was not the earliest in World Cup history.

That record still belongs to Jose Alberto Batista, who was given his marching orders just 54 seconds into Uruguay’s final group match against Scotland at Mexico 1986.

02:56 – Carlos Sanchez’s red card after two minutes and 56 seconds is the second fastest shown in World Cup history, after Jose Alberto Batista for Uruguay vs Scotland in 1986 (54 seconds). Handed. #COL #COLJPN #WorldCup

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 19, 2018

Sanchez will miss Colombia’s second group game against Poland.