Club World Cup referee shows never-before-seen 'Prayer card' during match as real reason explained

A Club World Cup referee showed a never-before-seen card during the match between Boca Juniors and Benfica.

In a highly-charged match-up, three players were sent off - including former Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera.

The Spanish midfielder went off after 20 minutes through injury, but tried to protest a penalty decision given against Boca before half-time and had a physical altercation with a security guard.

Benfica came from 2-0 down to draw level at 2-2 through goals from Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi.

Aside from the end result, there was another notable incident during the match that has never been seen before in football.

Referee Cesar Alvaro Ramos showed a prayer card to Boca defender Jorge Figal when sending him off, instead of a red card.

Image: DAZN

The card showed Our Lady of Guadalupe, an apparition of the Virgin Mary, considered the patron saint of Mexico and a powerful national symbol of Mexican identity and Catholic faith.

She was proclaimed patroness of Mexico City in 1737 (via Britannica), with that patronage being accepted by the territories of New Spain, which included part of present-day California several years later.

Her status has also been involved in highlighting Mexican nationalism and identity, with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visiting her shrine in Mexico City each year.

After he inadvertently showed the card while sending off Figal, Ramos pulled it back down with one finger and back into his pocket.

Image: DAZN

It is not the only rare card to be shown in football - though each of the other cards do have specific rules behind them.

A green card indicates that a player must leave the field immediately, but can be replaced if a team has substitutions remaining.

However, the card is not officially used by FIFA, with it being debuted at the 2016 CONIFA World Football Cup - a tournament for non-FIFA affiliated teams.

And in 2023, a white card was handed out for the first time during a women's match between Sporting Lisbon and Benfica.

The card was introduced as a way to promote fair play in football, and was shown to the medical staff of both sides after they assisted a fan who felt unwell in the stands.