Rabat – The French Football Federation has asked FIFA to cancel the yellow card shown to Michael Olise during France’s World Cup round-of-16 win over Paraguay.
Olise was booked late in the match after an incident with Paraguay midfielder Matias Galarza.
French officials believe the Bayern Munich winger did not touch his opponent and should not have been cautioned.
The card matters because a second yellow before the end of the quarterfinals would bring an automatic one-match suspension.
Yellow cards are cleared again after the quarterfinals, but a player booked twice before that reset still misses the next match.
France frustrated after Paraguay match
France defeated Paraguay 1-0 to reach the quarterfinals, with Kylian Mbappe scoring the only goal from the penalty spot.
The match included several heated moments, especially in the closing stages.
The Guardian’s live report said Galarza went down after getting close to Olise, with the referee then showing the French player a yellow card.
French media and supporters strongly criticized the decision.
Several reports also pointed out that Paraguay finished the match without a yellow card despite committing several fouls and playing with a very physical approach.
FIFA decision on Balogun adds Pressure
France’s request comes shortly after FIFA suspended Folarin Balogun’s automatic red-card ban, allowing the United States striker to play against Belgium.
FIFA used Article 27 of its disciplinary code, which allows a judicial body to fully or partly suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.
Balogun was placed under a one-year probationary period instead of serving the suspension immediately.
That decision was widely debated, especially after Belgium said it was astonished and argued that FIFA’s move went against normal World Cup rules.
Morocco await France
France will face Morocco on Thursday in the World Cup quarterfinals.
The match is scheduled for 9 p.m. Moroccan time in Boston.
Morocco reached the last eight after beating Canada 3-0, while France advanced with their narrow win over Paraguay.
Olise is expected to remain available against the Atlas Lions, but the yellow card could become important if France qualify and he receives another booking.
The French request now puts FIFA under more scrutiny.
After the Balogun decision, other teams may expect the same flexibility when they believe a disciplinary decision was unfair.
