FIFA Overturns Olise's Yellow Card, Suspension Threat Lifted Before Morocco

FIFA’s disciplinary commission has ruled on the appeal filed by the French Football Federation (FFF) regarding the yellow card given to Michael Olise in the closing moments of the match against Paraguay in the World Cup quarter-final.

The Bayern Munich forward had been cautioned following an altercation with Paraguayan Matias Galarza, who fell to the ground. However, replays of the incident show that Olise did not make contact with his opponent, a decision the French staff branded as “aberrant”. Without the overturn, the player would have faced Thursday’s semi-final against Morocco under the threat of an automatic suspension if he received another caution.

The FFF officially filed an appeal with FIFA’s disciplinary commission, which was already under pressure following the controversy surrounding American Folarin Balogun’s automatic suspension — ultimately overturned despite his red card against Bosnia, allowing the forward to play in the United States’ 4-1 victory over Belgium in the round of 16.

The stakes were particularly high for France given Olise’s disciplinary record: the former Crystal Palace player has accumulated 12 yellow cards in 50 Bundesliga matches this season, compared to just three for Bradley Barcola (49 matches) and Manu Koné (37 matches), who were also facing suspension threats if cautioned against Morocco. The Uzbek referee who oversaw the Paraguay match was also widely criticized for his overall performance.