As France seeks to overturn the yellow card shown to Michael Olise and FIFA has already suspended the red card issued to USA striker Folarin Balogun, the question now is whether Morocco can do the same after the cards picked up against Canada.
During the Morocco-Canada match, the English referee Michael Oliver handed out eight yellow cards, including six in the first half alone, making it only the second World Cup knockout match since 2006 to see six first-half bookings and the most-carded game of this year’s tournament so far.
As a result, five Moroccan players are on yellow cards heading into the quarter-final against France.
Under the Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 2026, teams do not have the right to appeal card decisions made during matches.
Article 9.4 states that “no protests may be made about the referee’s decisions regarding facts connected with play. Such decisions are final and not subject to appeal, unless otherwise stipulated in the FIFA Disciplinary Code.”
Still, Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code says that FIFA can legally decide to suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.
How Balogun’s suspension was lifted
FIFA announced on Sunday that its Disciplinary Committee had suspended the red card issued to the U.S. striker during the team’s Round of 32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, making him available for the United States’ Round of 16 match against Belgium on Monday.
In its statement, FIFA cited Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code, which says that “the judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”
But the code does not specify the circumstances under which FIFA may decide to suspend a sanction.
According to the New York Times, U.S. President Donald Trump had called FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Wednesday to request a review of Balogun’s suspension.
Following FIFA’s decision, Trump thanked the governing body on Truth Social for reversing what he called a “great injustice.”
FIFA has taken similar action before.
Last November, Cristiano Ronaldo escaped serving most of a three-match ban following a red card in a World Cup qualifier after two matches of the suspension were deferred under a one-year probationary period under FIFA’s disciplinary rules.
Belgium’s Football Federation (RBFA) said it was “astonished by FIFA’s” decision to clear Balogun to play.
The federation pointed to Article 66.4 of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code on red-card suspensions and Article 10.5 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 regulations, stressing that the RBFA is investigating all potential options “to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in the sport.”
France’s yellow card appeal
According to AFP, the French Football Federation (FFF) has asked FIFA to overturn the yellow card shown to Michael Olise during France’s 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, ahead of Thursday’s quarter-final clash against Morocco.
France fears Olise could be suspended for a potential semi-final if he receives another yellow card against Morocco.
Article 10.4 of the Regulations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 clearly states that “if a player or team official receives two cautions during two different matches, they will automatically be suspended for their team’s next match.”
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