FIFA has rejected the French football federation’s appeal to rescind the yellow card shown to Michael Olise in the dying moments of their last-16 victory over Paraguay, leaving the Bayern Munich midfielder one caution away from missing a potential World Cup semi-final. The ruling, confirmed by head coach Didier Deschamps on the eve of France’s quarter-final against Morocco, means Olise will carry the booking into Thursday’s match at Gillette Stadium, where a second yellow would trigger an automatic one-game suspension.

The incident occurred in the 97th minute of a fractious 1-0 win in Philadelphia. After an altercation with Paraguay’s Matías Galarza, Olise placed a finger to his lips; the Paraguayan dropped to the turf clutching his face, though video replays showed minimal contact and suggested the Frenchman had merely grasped his opponent’s jersey. The Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev brandished the yellow card, a decision the FFF argued was unjust and sought to overturn, particularly in light of a recent disciplinary precedent.

That precedent involved US striker Folarin Balogun, whose automatic suspension for a red card against Bosnia-Herzegovina was suspended by FIFA just days earlier, allowing him to face Belgium in the round of 16. The reversal followed a phone call from President Donald Trump to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a sequence that drew sharp criticism from European football officials and prompted Belgium to lodge an unsuccessful legal challenge. Viewed from Paris, the contrast is stark: a red-card ban lifted after political pressure, while a yellow card deemed harsh by many observers is upheld. Analysts in London note that the two outcomes have fuelled accusations of double standards, with the French camp pointing to the Balogun case as a benchmark that was not applied evenly.

Deschamps, speaking in Foxborough, was measured but clear: “There was no change when it comes to Olise’s yellow card. We received FIFA’s decision this morning that the yellow card was maintained.” He declined to turn the appointment of Argentine referee Facundo Tello for the Morocco clash into a controversy, insisting his side’s focus remained on the opposition, not the officials. The coach also confirmed that midfielders Bradley Barcola and Manu Koné are similarly at risk of suspension, while Aurélien Tchouaméni is recovering from a thigh injury and may return to training.

The immediate sporting consequence is that Olise, one of the tournament’s standout performers and the leader in assists, must navigate a high-stakes quarter-final with extreme caution. A booking would rule him out of a semi-final against Spain or Belgium, a scenario that would deprive France of a key creative force as they chase a third consecutive last-four appearance. The match against Morocco, a repeat of the 2022 semi-final, kicks off at 4 p.m. local time in Boston, with the winner advancing to face either Spain or Belgium.