France's attempt to have Michael Olise's yellow card against Paraguay overturned has been unsuccessful, just days after Donald Trump's personal intervention resulted in Folarin Balogun's red card suspension being lifted. The Bayern Munich star will be on a disciplinary tightrope in the World Cup quarter-final against Morocco, aware that another booking on Thursday will rule him out of the semi-final.
Incident and Appeal Details
Olise was involved in an off-the-ball incident with Matías Galarza, during which the Paraguay midfielder fell to the ground clutching his face. Yet replays seemed to suggest that Olise merely grabbed his shirt and made no contact with his face whatsoever. The French Football Federation (FFF) believed they had justification for an appeal following FIFA's surprising decision to lift Balogun's one-match suspension and allow the striker to feature against Belgium.
Nevertheless, head coach Didier Deschamps confirmed the appeal had been turned down. "There was no change with Olise's yellow card," said Deschamps. "We received from FIFA a decision this morning [Wednesday] that Olise's yellow card remains."
Controversy Over Balogun Decision
Trump's approach to FIFA president Gianni Infantino and his subsequent success in having the ban overturned has sparked fury amongst competing nations at the World Cup. Former England striker Wayne Rooney labelled the decision as an "absolute disgrace". The US President controversially asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to step in to ensure Balogun could feature in their last-16 encounter against Belgium.
In a remarkable decision, FIFA's independent Disciplinary Committee determined that Balogun would be eligible for the fixture as his one-match suspension was put on hold under Article 27 of FIFA regulations. The striker did feature in the match, though the USA ultimately fell to a 4-1 defeat.
Impact on France's Campaign
Yet the same dispensation was not extended to France and Olise. England were also rumoured to be mulling over an appeal for Jarell Quansah after his sending off against Mexico, but the prospect of an extended ban means they may opt against lodging a challenge.
The uncertainty surrounding Olise's availability represented one of the major questions hanging over France as they target a repeat of their semi-final appearance from the 2022 World Cup, where they overcame Morocco before losing in the final against Argentina. Olise, alongside Kylian Mbappe, has emerged as one of the standout performers at the tournament in North America.
Deschamps' Options
A victory for France would likely set up a semi-final showdown with Spain, while England or potentially a rematch with Argentina, standing between them and the final on July 19. It would also mark Deschamps guiding them to the last four in three consecutive tournaments.
Whether he will gamble on Olise risking another booking, which would sideline him from the semi-finals, remains to be seen. Deschamps still has Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue at his disposal should he opt to keep Olise among the substitutes.
