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FIFA rejects France's appeal of Michael Olise's yellow card

Michael Olise remains one yellow card away from suspension after FIFA dismissed the French Football Federation's appeal regarding his booking against Paraguay.

By Tomas Ferreira · 9 July 2026, 01:02 · 3 min read

FIFA rejects France's appeal of Michael Olise's yellow card

FIFA has rejected an appeal by the French Football Federation (FFF) to cancel a yellow card issued to Michael Olise, leaving the Bayern Munich winger one booking away from suspension ahead of France's World Cup quarterfinal against Morocco on Thursday, July 9, 2026.

France head coach Didier Deschamps confirmed the ruling during a Wednesday press conference in Boston.

"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,"
Didier Deschamps, France head coach, via Sky Sports

The booking occurred in the 97th minute of France's 1-0 round of 16 victory over Paraguay on July 4. The incident involved a heated altercation with Paraguay midfielder Matias Galarza. While Galarza fell to the turf and alleged facial contact, replays indicated Olise had grabbed the midfielder's shirt but did not make contact with his head.

The FFF had argued the incident did not deserve a booking and sought to correct what it viewed as a clear officiating error. Because the appeal was denied, Olise will enter the match at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough with no margin for error. If he receives another yellow card and France qualifies for the next round, he will be automatically suspended for the semifinal.

The decision has drawn comparisons to a previous disciplinary controversy involving United States striker Folarin Balogun. FIFA had suspended Balogun’s one-match ban for a red card received against Bosnia and Herzegovina after U.S. President Donald Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to review the decision. That ruling, based on Article 27 of the disciplinary code, allowed Balogun to face Belgium, though the U.S. Was ultimately eliminated in a 4-1 loss. The Belgian Football Association and UEFA criticized that decision. In contrast, the FFF maintained that its appeal for Olise was separate from the Balogun matter and based solely on the specific circumstances of the foul.

Olise has been a standout performer for France, recording five assists—the most by any player in a single World Cup since 1994. He is one assist shy of the record set by Pele in 1970. He has also earned two Player of the Match awards, following wins against Senegal in the group stage and a 3-0 victory over Sweden in the round of 32.

The disciplinary situation adds tactical tension to the match against Morocco. The Atlas Lions, managed by Mohamed Ouahbi, reached the quarterfinals by eliminating Canada with a 3-0 win and defeating the Netherlands. Having reached the semifinals in 2022, Morocco is now attempting to become the first African nation to reach two successive World Cup semifinals.

France enters the fixture on a five-match winning streak, having scored 12 goals and conceded two. However, the team is managing several off-field distractions. Captain Kylian Mbappe, who has seven goals in the tournament, was recently targeted with racist abuse from a Paraguayan senator. Deschamps described Mbappe as mentally strong and focused on the game.

Deschamps also provided a fitness update on midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who missed the Paraguay match due to a groin injury. The coach stated Tchouameni feels better and might return to training Wednesday. All other players are fit for selection.

France's projected XI for the 4:00 PM ET kickoff includes: