FIFA clears Otamendi, Caicedo for WCup openers

FIFA announced on Friday that Argentina defender Nicolás Otamendi and Ecuador midfielder Moisés Caicedo are cleared to play in their World Cup opening matches despite receiving red cards in their final qualifying games. The FIFA Bureau, led by President Gianni Infantino, enacted an unprecedented amnesty waiving single yellow cards and pending one- or two-match suspensions accumulated during qualifying from carrying over to the World Cup. The ruling follows a similar decision regarding Cristiano Ronaldo, whose remaining two-game ban from a red card in November was deferred to a one-year probation period rather than served at the tournament.