Balogun Ruling Opens the Floodgates: England and France Both Weigh Card Appeals

England's Football Association is considering an appeal against Jarell Quansah's red card from the win over Mexico, according to the BBC. Quansah was sent off in the 54th minute for a challenge on Jesus Gallardo during England's 3-2 victory.

The move comes just days after FIFA controversially downgraded USA forward Folarin Balogun's suspension, a decision that has pushed other federations to test their luck with appeals of their own.

Why Balogun's case matters

Balogun was originally facing an automatic one-match ban for a foul on Bosnia and Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemović in the round of 32. That would have ruled him out of the round of 16 clash with Belgium.

Instead, FIFA converted the ban into a conditional 12-month suspension, clearing Balogun to play. The decision followed a phone call between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and U.S. President Donald Trump, who had asked FIFA to look at the case again.

The ruling did not sit well with several parties:

• UEFA criticized the decision.
• The Belgian Football Association objected and is reviewing its own options.
• England manager Thomas Tuchel also spoke out against it.

France moves first

France was the first to act on the precedent. The Athletic reports that the French federation is contesting the yellow card shown to Michael Olise during the 1-0 win over Paraguay, a match decided by a second-half Kylian Mbappé penalty.

Olise picked up the caution after a clash with Paraguay's Matías Galarza, who went down holding his face. Replays suggested Olise had only grabbed Galarza's shirt during the tussle. France wants the card wiped so Olise avoids a suspension risk heading into a potential semifinal.

Tuchel's other problem: right-back

Beyond the card disputes, Tuchel is dealing with a selection headache at right-back. Reece James has been out since picking up a hamstring injury against Ghana and has missed the matches against Panama, DR Congo, and Mexico.

In his absence, Tuchel has rotated through Djed Spence, Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Quansah, and even midfielder Declan Rice in the role. Quansah himself was also injured against Panama but recovered in time to start against Mexico.

Key facts at a glance

• Quansah sent off in the 54th minute vs. Mexico; England won 3-2.
• Balogun's automatic ban downgraded to a conditional 12-month suspension.
• Trump asked FIFA to review the Balogun decision; Infantino says the case was still handled by FIFA's judicial bodies.
• France is appealing Olise's yellow card from the 1-0 win over Paraguay.
• Reece James has been out since the Ghana group match, missing three straight games.
• England face Norway in the quarter-finals on Saturday in Miami.

What's next

England will look to move past the noise on Saturday, when they face Norway in the World Cup quarter-finals in Miami. Whether the FA's appeal succeeds may depend on how FIFA has handled the flurry of similar requests already sitting on its desk.