France's Appeal to Overturn Michael Olise's Yellow Card Fails

New York. France's attempt to overturn the yellow card received by Michael Olise in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier against Paraguay has been unsuccessful. Bayern Munich winger Olise received a yellow card in the extra time of the tense pre-quarterfinal match in Philadelphia after a clash with Matias Galarza. During the clash, Olise held Galarza's jersey, causing him to fall to the ground. Olise, who has already made five assists in the current World Cup, will miss the semi-final match if he receives another yellow card in Thursday's quarter-final against Morocco. If France defeats Morocco, they will face Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals. French team head coach Didier Deschamps, speaking to the media before the match at Boston Stadium on Wednesday, stated that there was no change to the yellow card. He said, 'We were informed by FIFA this morning, that card has been kept as it is.' FIFA had previously suspended the red card of American striker Folarin Balogun, allowing him to play against Belgium, but in Olise's case, France's appeal was rejected. In the match against Paraguay, France's Bradley Barcola and Manu Kone also received yellow cards. Strangely, referee Ilgiz Tantashev did not show any cards to any Paraguayan player. During the match, Paraguay's Gustavo Velazquez attempted to spoil the penalty spot, while Gabriel Avalos hit French defender Dayot Upamecano with his elbow. Similarly, Andres Cubas made a bad tackle on midfielder Adrien Rabiot. Kylian Mbappe converted the penalty, giving France a 1-0 victory. Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart commented after the match that the South American team Paraguay had crossed the line on the field. BBC Sports pundit Thomas Hitzlsperger also called it the worst performance of the tournament by a referee. The controversy of the match also extended beyond the field. After the match, Mbappe strongly criticized a Paraguayan senator who made racist remarks about his background and education. He called the senator 'disgusting' and unfit for her position. On the other hand, the Moroccan team, set to face France, has also suffered a major blow. Ismael Saibari, a key player for Morocco, who is looking to avenge their semi-final defeat in the 2022 World Cup, will be out of action due to injury. Saibari had scored goals against Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti in the group stage matches and scored the winning penalty against the Netherlands in the Round of 32. The 25-year-old player, who joined Bayern Munich from PSV Eindhoven this summer, had to leave the field in the 22nd minute against Canada due to a hamstring problem. Morocco coach Mohammed Ouahbi expressed concern about Saibari's injury, stating that he is not ready to play. He said, 'He is not ready to play, but I hope this is not the end of the tournament for him.'