FA weighs Quansah red card appeal after FIFA's Balogun U-turn opens the door

The Football Association is actively weighing whether to appeal Jarell Quansah’s red card after FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban — prompted by Donald Trump’s direct call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino — opened a potential route for other nations to challenge similar rulings at the 2026 World Cup.

Quansah was dismissed in the 54th minute of England’s 3-2 win over Mexico on Sunday following a VAR review of a high challenge on Jesus Gallardo. The one-game ban that automatically follows means the Liverpool defender is set to miss Saturday’s quarter-final against Norway.

There is no standard appeal process in place at this World Cup, and England head coach Thomas Tuchel made clear his unhappiness with the decision. However, FIFA’s intervention in the Balogun case has changed the calculus for the FA. “FA chiefs are considering their options,” with the Balogun precedent now making a similar approach at least plausible where it would previously have been a remote prospect.

Trump confirmed on Monday that he had personally asked Infantino to review Balogun’s red card from the USA’s match against Bosnia-Herzegovina. “I saw the play… that wasn’t a foul, that wasn’t even an infraction, that was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other,” Trump said. “He didn’t do anything wrong and he’s our best player, or one of our best players… and he gave him a red card. It’s very unfair.”

Former England internationals Gary Neville and Ian Wright both acknowledged that Quansah’s dismissal was the correct call on its merits, but argued the FA should pursue an appeal regardless, given the precedent now set. “It’s a red, but I think we should still appeal it because people are getting it overturned now,” Wright said on The Stick to Football podcast. “If you look at Balogun’s one, Balogun isn’t going in to break his ankle. It’s just clumsy the way it’s happened. I think Quansah has gone over the ball a bit but like he has got away with it, so why can’t England — this has opened up Pandora’s box.”

Wright went further, suggesting Prime Minister Keir Starmer could follow Trump’s lead, and even floated the idea of French President Emmanuel Macron intervening on behalf of Michael Olise, who was booked in France’s win against Paraguay.

England must now decide whether to formally present grounds for overturning the suspension before Saturday’s quarter-final, with Quansah’s availability potentially pivotal to their defensive shape against Norway.