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Rabat – FIFA has rejected France’s appeal to cancel Michael Olise’s yellow card before Thursday’s World Cup quarterfinal against Morocco.
The decision means the Bayern Munich winger will remain on a booking when France face the Atlas Lions in Boston.
If Olise receives another yellow card against Morocco and France qualify, he will be suspended for the semifinal.
France had asked FIFA to review the yellow card Olise received during the closing stages of the 1-0 win over Paraguay in the round of 16.
The French Football Federation argued that the incident did not deserve a booking.
Olise was shown a yellow card after an exchange with Paraguay midfielder Matias Galarza. Reports said replays showed Olise grabbed Galarza’s shirt but did not make contact with his head.
France head coach Didier Deschamps confirmed the ruling during Wednesday’s press conference before the Morocco match.
“There was no change when it comes to Olise’s yellow card. We received FIFA’s decision this morning that the yellow card was maintained,” Deschamps said.
The decision does not stop Olise from playing against Morocco.
But it leaves him under extra pressure in one of France’s most important matches of the tournament.
Olise will have to manage every challenge, reaction and defensive action carefully.
For an attacking player who is often involved in duels, pressing and quick transitions, that could affect how he approaches the match.
France wanted a different outcome
France had hoped FIFA would remove the booking before the quarterfinal.
The appeal came after French officials believed the yellow card was unfair and could damage France’s chances later in the tournament.
The rejection forces Deschamps to think not only about Morocco, but also about a possible semifinal.
France are chasing another deep World Cup run after beating Paraguay 1-0 through a Kylian Mbappe penalty.
Morocco reached the quarterfinals after eliminating the Netherlands and co-hosts Canada, making Thursday’s match one of the strongest tests left for France.
Deschamps has already warned that France must be more efficient in attack against Morocco, despite having one of the strongest forward lines in the tournament.
Olise is part of that attacking group alongside Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola.
Balogun case adds more attention
The ruling also comes after FIFA faced criticism over a different disciplinary decision involving United States striker Folarin Balogun.
FIFA suspended Balogun’s one-match ban for a one-year probationary period after his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, allowing him to play against Belgium.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the red card, while Belgium criticized the decision before their match against the United States.
That background made France’s appeal more sensitive.
But unlike the Balogun case, FIFA decided not to change the disciplinary decision involving Olise.
The yellow card stands.
Olise walking a fine line against Morocco
France will now have to manage Olise’s situation during the match.
If the game becomes physical, Deschamps may need to decide whether to keep him on the pitch or protect him from a possible suspension.
That decision could become important if France are leading late in the match, or if Morocco force France into difficult defensive moments.
For Morocco, Olise’s situation could also be part of the match’s tactical story.
The Atlas Lions know France have a key attacker who cannot afford another booking.
For France, the message is simple.
Olise can play against Morocco, but he enters the quarterfinal with no margin for error.
