The Football Association is "considering their options" regarding Jarell Quansah's red card, following FIFA's contentious U-turn over USA striker Folarin Balogun's dismissal against Bosnia-Herzegovina last week. The England defender was shown a straight red card against Mexico, ruling him out of Saturday's World Cup quarter-final clash with Norway.
No Direct Appeals Process at World Cup
No direct appeals process exists at this World Cup, despite England manager Thomas Tuchel expressing his displeasure with the decision. However, the FA has witnessed Balogun's one-match ban get suspended for 12 months after U.S. President Donald Trump's intervention. England would need to put forward compelling grounds for the ban to be lifted, which seemed highly unlikely until FIFA became involved in Balogun's situation.
Now, the precedent has been set for other nations to pursue similar avenues, which is precisely why the FA is contemplating further action. Quansah received his marching orders during Sunday's encounter following a VAR review for a tackle on Mexico's Jesus Gallardo. The defender now faces a one-match suspension, meaning he will be unavailable for Saturday's quarter-final showdown with Norway.
Former Players React to Dismissal
Reflecting on Quansah's dismissal, former England internationals Gary Neville and Ian Wright agreed the red card was justified, but suggested the FA should challenge it given the Balogun reversal. "It's [Quansah's] a red, but I think we should still appeal it because people are getting it overturned now," Wright told The Stick to Football podcast. "If you look at Balogun's one, Balogun isn't going in to break his ankle. It's just clumsy the way it's happened. I think Quansah has gone over the ball a bit but like he [Balogun] has got away with it so why can't England as this has opened up Pandora's box. I think Keir Starmer makes a call and even [French President Emmanuel] Macron for [Michael] Olise [who was booked in France's World Cup win against Paraguay]. Make a call."
Trump Confirms FIFA Intervention
Trump confirmed on Monday that he had personally asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to "review" Balogun's World Cup red card. He said: "I saw the play... that [challenge by Balogun] wasn't a foul, that wasn't even an infraction, that was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other. These were two great athletes that got tangled up and this referee, who is a little bit suspect, if you check his past, he made a call that nobody could believe. He [Balogun] didn't do anything wrong and he's our best player, or one of our best players... and he [the referee] gave him a red card. It's very unfair, you can't do that. So, yes, I asked for a review by FIFA. I spoke to a man who's highly respected [Infantino] and by the way, whose level of respect has gone up 10-fold. This game [against Belgium] would have a big mark on it if we lost [without Balogun]. No matter what happened, you have to let [teams] use their best players, and the game [against Belgium] is going to be amazing. And we're going to have a full team, and Belgium is going to have a full team. And you know what? If [Belgium] beat us, then they can be really proud. The other way [with Balogun banned] - if they beat us, we'll say it was... I'd say it was rigged, just like the election was rigged in 2020, but I won't get into that."
FIFA Disciplinary Committee Ruling
Hours before the United States' Round of 16 clash with Belgium, FIFA issued a lengthy statement from the disciplinary committee, confirming that Balogun has been handed a $40,000 fine in relation to the red card incident. The statement confirmed that the one-match suspension for Balogun's red card has been delayed by one year. The disciplinary committee revealed that Balogun had been investigated by FIFA for two separate offences: The sending-off itself, and subsequently for re-entering the field to celebrate with his U.S. teammates, "despite his expulsion." It remains uncertain whether the fine relates to the initial offence or the second.
Implications for England
The FA's consideration of an appeal for Quansah now hinges on the precedent set by Balogun's case. With Trump's direct intervention and FIFA's subsequent U-turn, England hopes to leverage similar grounds to have Quansah's suspension overturned. The outcome could significantly impact England's quarter-final preparations against Norway.
