Quite the night for the not-so-young Bentancur. Lost his man for their goal, picked up a yellow, and then did this… Rodrigo Bentancur, the Spurs midfielder playing for Uruguay, received a straight red card during the international friendly match against the United States men’s national team on November 18, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Bentancur was sent off for a reckless, studs-up challenge on USMNT midfielder Sebastian Berhalter. The tackle, as you can clearly see in the slow-motion part of the tape, went high over the ball and directly into Berhalter’s shins/ankle, deemed a serious foul play by the referee.
This followed an earlier yellow card, Bentancur had received in the 50th minute for a foul on Diego Luna.
Uruguay were already trailing 2-0 at the time (goals from Berhalter and Cade Cowell). The USMNT capitalised on the advantage, scoring three more goals (from Tanner Tessmann, Max Arfsten, and another) to secure a 5-1 victory.
The red card highlighted Uruguay’s growing frustration in a dominant performance by the experimental USMNT squad under coach Gregg Berhalter.
The crucial aspect of this, perhaps, is that there will be no suspension for club matches as it was a friendly.
THE POWER BEHIND THIS HEADER FROM ALEX FREEMAN 💥
(Via @USMNT)
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— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 19, 2025
Regarding bookings, ‘Bents’ has received a total of 38 yellow cards and 0 red cards (direct or second yellow) in these appearances. This equates to approximately 0.35 yellow cards per game, reflecting his combative but occasionally reckless style in midfield.
Of course, Bentancur received a seven-match domestic suspension (upheld on appeal in December 2024) and a £100,000 fine from the FA for misconduct related to a racist remark about teammate Son Heung-min in a TV interview. This ban applied only to domestic competitions (Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup) and did not count as a match booking; he remained eligible for European fixtures during that period.
Bentancur’s highest booking tally came in 2024/25 (14 yellows), partly due to increased starts amid Tottenham’s Europa League campaign and his recovery from injuries. He has avoided reds entirely, but recent incidents—like a controversial yellow (upheld over red appeals) against Chelsea on November 1, 2025—highlight ongoing scrutiny.
Maybe it’s time to stop pretending that, after 5 seasons, that 9 goals and 12 assists stand favourably against 38 yellows.