France Appeals To FIFA To Cancel Michael Olise's Yellow Card After US-Belgium Controversy

Following the controversy surrounding the reversal of Paulin Balogun's suspension before the US-Belgium Round of 16 match, the French Football Federation has filed an appeal with FIFA to cancel the yellow card received by Bayern Munich midfielder Michael Olise during France's 1-0 victory over Paraguay. According to a report by The Athletic, the French federation requested the card be rescinded after reviewing footage of the incident involving Olise and Paraguay's Matías Galarza. While Galarza fell clutching his face, replays showed Olise only grabbed his shirt.

Olise is considered a key player for France in the tournament and currently faces suspension risk. If he receives another yellow card in the quarterfinal match against Morocco, he will miss the semifinal, should France advance. The French federation emphasized that their appeal is based on the belief that the yellow card was unjustly issued, not as a direct response to the Balogun case.

This appeal comes amid the uproar caused by FIFA's decision to overturn Balogun's suspension, a move that has also been challenged by the Belgian Football Association. UEFA has strongly criticized FIFA's decision, calling it unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustified.