France’s attempt to have Michael Olise’s yellow card rescinded has been rejected by Fifa ahead of their quarter-final clash against Morocco on Thursday.
The Bayern Munich winger was booked during stoppage time in France’s 1-0 last-16 victory over Paraguay in Philadelphia last weekend.
Olise clashed with Matias Galarza during the altercation, with Galarza falling to the ground after Olise grabbed his shirt.
France manager Didier Deschamps confirmed the news on Wednesday, speaking ahead of the game at Boston Stadium in a brief but direct update.
“The yellow card has not changed. We were notified by Fifa this morning, it has been maintained,” Deschamps told reporters ahead of Thursday’s quarter-final.
Olise, who has contributed five assists at the 2026 World Cup, faces a suspension risk heading into the knockout stages of the tournament.
Should France beat Morocco and Olise pick up a second yellow card, he would be ruled out of a potential semi-final against either Spain or Belgium.
The decision stands despite Fifa previously agreeing to suspend a red card for United States striker Folarin Balogun, allowing him to play in a last-16 tie against Belgium.
Bradley Barcola and Manu Kone were also booked during the Paraguay match, which referee Ilgiz Tantashev oversaw without issuing a single card to the South American side.
The match itself was a fiery affair, with Paraguay’s Gustavo Velazquez attempting to scuff the penalty spot before Kylian Mbappe converted the spot-kick for the only goal of the game.
France defender Dayot Upamecano was elbowed in the ribs by Gabriel Avalos, while Andres Cubas caught Adrien Rabiot with a reckless tackle during the contest.
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart said Paraguay had “gone way too far” with their antics, while BBC Sport pundit Thomas Hitzlsperger called it “probably the worse referee performance I’ve seen at this tournament.”
In the aftermath of the match, Mbappe condemned a Paraguayan senator as “despicable” and unworthy of her position after she made racist remarks mocking his origin and education.
Morocco will head into Thursday’s quarter-final without Ismael Saibari, who has been a standout performer throughout the tournament so far.
The 25-year-old scored in all three of Morocco’s group games, netting in their 1-1 draw with Brazil, 1-0 win against Scotland, and their 4-2 victory over Haiti.
Saibari, who has moved from PSV Eindhoven to Bayern Munich this summer, also scored the winning penalty in Morocco’s last-32 win against the Netherlands.
The midfielder was forced off after just 22 minutes with a hamstring problem during Morocco’s 3-0 victory over co-hosts Canada in the last 16.
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi remains cautiously hopeful about his player’s chances of featuring later in the tournament despite the setback.
“He’s not ready but I hope it’s not the end of the tournament for him,” said Ouahbi, acknowledging the significance of the loss for his squad.
Morocco are motivated by more than just reaching the semi-finals, seeking revenge for their defeat to France at the same stage of the 2022 World Cup.
