FIFA Denies France's Appeal Over Olise Yellow Card
FIFA upheld a yellow card for France's Michael Olise despite minimal contact in the World Cup Round of 16, leaving him one suspension away from missing a potential semifinal.
French coach Didier Deschamps revealed that FIFA has rejected France's appeal against the yellow card issued to Michael Olise, though he expressed confidence in the referee's decision.
Olise, one of the tournament's standout players, received the yellow card in the final minutes of France's 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the 2026 World Cup Round of 16.
Replay footage showed minimal contact when Olise touched a Paraguayan player's mouth with his finger, while the opponent fell to the ground claiming a facial strike.
With FIFA upholding the card, Olise now faces a precarious situation—a second yellow against Morocco would result in a suspension for the potential semifinal against Spain or Belgium.
"The yellow card remains as is. We were notified by FIFA this morning, and the card stands," Deschamps told reporters.
Deschamps also addressed the all-Argentine refereeing team assigned to the France-Morocco match, saying "I have no control over referee appointments—I can only try to trust the officials."
"Various decisions often spark debate depending on which side you're on, but our opponent is Morocco. I cannot view the referee as an adversary," he added.
