The white card was used for the first time in professional football since the introduction of cards in 1970, during the encounter between Sporting Lisbon and Benfica ladies on Saturday (21st January). The ‘white card’ is not a warning or a penalty card like the yellow and red ones; rather, it is a way of applauding the sportsmanship displayed on the field. In the Taca de Portugal Feminina, the Portuguese Football Federation began this new introduction in football alongside VAR and concussion substitutes (Portuguese female football).
The white card is used to demonstrate to teams their fair behavior during a match in order to reinforce the game’s ethical worth. The referee may be seen brandishing the white card once the situation has been resolved. When the uncommon color appeared, fans erupted in applause. The new card was shown to both teams’ medical staff during Benfica’s women’s game against Sporting Lisbon. In the first half, a player was hurt due to illness, and the medical teams from both teams rushed to her aid.
The attendance of 15,032 for SL Benfica against Sporting CP broke the record for a women’s match in Portugal. Benfica defeated FC Porto 5-0 in the quarter-finals at the Estadio da Luz stadium in Lisbon. The Filipa Patao players will now face the two-time champion Sporting CP (women’s) in the semifinal leg on Thursday at the Benfica campus stadium (26th January).
