Quansah two-match ban prompts England FA complaint as Mbappe confronts referee at World Cup

Jarell Quansah has been handed a two-match suspension by FIFA following his red card against Mexico, prompting England manager Thomas Tuchel to demand the Football Association file a formal complaint targeting the VAR process used by officials. Bukayo Saka acknowledged the ban was “incredibly frustrating” for the squad but insisted England must quickly adapt ahead of their quarter-final against Norway.

England’s injury concerns deepened when defender Marc Guehi was diagnosed with a slight hamstring injury sustained in the Mexico match. His fitness will be assessed before the Norway tie, with Tuchel unlikely to risk an unfit player against a formidable Scandinavian attack. Right-back Reece James is also pushing to prove his fitness after a hamstring problem, though his inclusion would carry significant risk. On a more positive note, Bukayo Saka declared himself fully recovered from an Achilles issue and ready to feature.

In France’s quarter-final against Morocco, Kylian Mbappe confronted the referee during a hydration break after his penalty was saved by Yassine Bounou. The France captain had been substituted late in the match and was seen with an ice pack on his ankle, briefly raising fitness concerns. Coach Didier Deschamps moved quickly to dismiss any long-term worry, confirming it was a minor knock and that Mbappe would be available for the semi-final.

Mbappe’s missed penalty came after a VAR delay of more than three minutes before the spot-kick was taken — a wait that drew sharp criticism from Norway striker Erling Haaland, who took to social media to argue the lengthy hold-up was far too long. Pundit Roy Keane echoed that view, defending Mbappe and contending that such a delay unfairly shifts the psychological advantage to the goalkeeper, regardless of the quality of the penalty-taker.

Elsewhere, ITV’s coverage of the France versus Morocco match was briefly disrupted when the broadcaster was forced to evacuate its rooftop studio in New York due to severe lightning in the area. Presenter Mark Pougatch explained that local safety regulations required the production to relocate to an indoor set mid-broadcast.