The Athletic reported that the French Football Federation has formally appealed to FIFA to overturn the yellow card shown to Michael Olise during France’s last-16 match. Olise received the booking in stoppage time after an incident with Paraguay’s Matias Galarza, who went down holding his face despite replays showing the Bayern Munich forward had only pulled his shirt. French officials maintain the refereeing decision was a clear error that should be corrected before the quarterfinal.
The caution leaves Olise one booking away from a suspension that would sideline him for a potential semifinal if France defeats Morocco on Thursday and advances further. A further yellow card in the quarterfinal would trigger an automatic one-match ban under standard FIFA rules. The federation’s appeal seeks to avoid that outcome for a key attacking player while France continues its World Cup campaign.
FIFA’s recent decision to lift Balogun’s one-match ban after his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina has provided the backdrop for the French request. President Donald Trump publicly stated he had asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the case, leading the governing body to invoke Article 27 of its disciplinary code to suspend the ban for one year. The move enabled the United States striker to participate in the round of 16 against Belgium, according to reports from GOAL.
UEFA condemned FIFA’s reversal in strong terms. The European governing body described the action as unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable while asserting that it had crossed a red line with the integrity of the game at stake. The Royal Belgian Football Association also lodged an appeal against the ruling on Balogun.
Sources told ESPN that the French appeal rests on the merits of the Olise case even as it coincides with the heightened scrutiny over political influence in disciplinary matters. The Athletic noted that officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the appeal publicly. France won the match against Paraguay thanks to a Kylian Mbappe penalty.
Multiple outlets including GOAL reported that the Balogun suspension reversal has sparked widespread criticism across European football circles. The precedent has encouraged other federations to seek similar reviews of disciplinary decisions during the 2026 tournament. FIFA has yet to respond to the French federation’s request as teams prepare for the quarterfinal stage.
