Jarell Quansah has been handed a two-match suspension by Fifa following his red card during England’s last-16 victory over Mexico at the World Cup.
The defender was dismissed after a VAR review deemed his sliding tackle on Jesus Gallardo to be reckless, with his studs catching the Mexican player on the shin.
England initially considered appealing the decision, particularly after Fifa overturned USA striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match suspension — a move that sparked controversy after US President Donald Trump personally lobbied for it.
However, England have now learned that Quansah’s suspension has been extended to two matches, as Fifa found him guilty of breaching Article 14 of its code of conduct. The regulation stipulates a two-game ban for cases deemed to involve serious foul play.
The Bayer Leverkusen centre-back will consequently miss both Saturday’s quarter-final clash with Norway and a potential semi-final against Argentina or Switzerland. His only chance of a return would be if Thomas Tuchel’s side reach the final.
Fifa and its president Gianni Infantino are facing intense criticism for their earlier decision to rescind Balogun’s ban before the USA’s last-16 tie against Belgium, which ended in a 4-1 defeat in Seattle.
That controversial ruling came under a rarely used clause allowing Fifa to “suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure”. Reports suggested the reversal followed a direct call from Trump to Infantino, whose close ties to the American leader have often been questioned.
Fifa had already been criticised for lacking a formal appeal mechanism for red cards during the World Cup. Balogun’s reinstatement reignited accusations of political interference and inconsistency in the application of disciplinary rules, with Infantino facing calls to step down.
The incident has also raised doubts about the transparency of the appeal process for refereeing decisions at this tournament. France’s attempt to overturn Michael Olise’s yellow card against Paraguay was rejected, while England stated they were “considering all options” concerning Quansah’s dismissal.
After the Mexico match, Tuchel defended his player, arguing that the sending-off was unwarranted and also condemned Fifa’s handling of Balogun’s case.
“Who overturns this decision and when and on what grounds?” Tuchel questioned during his post-match press conference. “It feels strange to me. All we are asking for is consistency in these decisions.”
He added: “Where does this end? I’m not sure of the rules anymore. I am not the right person to ask. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens next.”
England have not yet confirmed whether they have lodged an official appeal with Fifa regarding Quansah’s red card.
There were also calls for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to intervene in a similar manner to Trump and contact Fifa about reviewing the decision.
Starmer’s involvement, however, came earlier — before the Mexico fixture — when he supported the Football Association’s efforts to prevent Fifa from advancing the match’s kick-off time due to storm warnings over the Estadio Azteca. Fifa had proposed moving the start time from 6pm to 12pm, a change that would have disrupted England’s high-altitude preparations.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup Task Force, argued that Starmer’s intervention carried greater implications than Trump’s phone call to Infantino.
“I would view Starmer’s involvement as far more serious, given that the proposed time change followed a tragedy where three Mexicans died after the round of 32 win over Ecuador due to the late finish and massive crowds in the city centre,” Giuliani told Times Radio.
“That discussion was about public safety and saving lives. One intervention concerns safety; the other involves a footballing decision. There’s a clear distinction between the two.”
