2026 World Cup: France Asks FIFA to Overturn Olise Booking After Balogun Red Card Reversal

France have formally asked FIFA to overturn the yellow card shown to Michael Olise during their Round of 16 victory over Paraguay, following the world governing body’s controversial decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban imposed on United States striker Folarin Balogun.

The French Football Federation (FFF) lodged the appeal after Olise was cautioned during France’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay following an altercation with midfielder Matias Galarza.

Television replays appeared to show the Bayern Munich winger grabbing only Galarza’s shirt, although the Paraguay player fell to the ground clutching his face before the referee issued a yellow card to the French international.

If the caution remains, Olise will enter France’s quarter-final clash against Morocco on Thursday carrying one yellow card, meaning another booking would rule him out of a potential semi-final against either Spain or Portugal should France advance.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the FFF has formally requested FIFA to review and overturn the booking, maintaining that the appeal is based solely on what it considers an incorrect refereeing decision.

The federation also insisted that its request is unrelated to FIFA’s handling of Balogun’s disciplinary case.

The development, however, comes only days after FIFA invoked Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code to suspend the implementation of Balogun’s automatic one-match suspension following his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The unprecedented decision allowed the United States striker to feature in his country’s Round of 16 encounter against Belgium despite having been sent off in the previous match.

FIFA’s ruling has generated widespread debate across the football community, with several players, coaches and football officials questioning the consistency of the disciplinary process.

Among the critics is UEFA, which reportedly expressed concerns that the decision could undermine confidence in football’s disciplinary framework and create uncertainty over future sanctions.

France will now await FIFA’s decision on Olise’s appeal before Thursday’s quarter-final against Morocco, with the outcome likely to attract significant attention given the controversy surrounding Balogun’s case and growing calls for greater consistency in the application of the game’s disciplinary rules.