After Balogun and Olise, will Morocco ask FIFA for the same treatment?
After FIFA's ruling on Balogun and France's request over Olise, the question arises: will Morocco attempt the same move to protect five players at risk of suspension before facing France?
FIFA has opened the door to fierce controversy over disciplinary sanctions at the 2026 World Cup, after its contentious decision to suspend the automatic ban for American forward Folarin Balogun, sent off against Bosnia-Herzegovina, allowing him to play against Belgium as normal.
The decision drew strong protests from the Belgian federation and UEFA, who called it a "threat to competitive integrity" and warned it could open a dangerous door to disciplinary appeals during the tournament.
France wasted no time seizing the opening: their federation formally asked FIFA to cancel the yellow card Michael Olise received in the 90th minute of the 1-0 win over Paraguay, arguing his contact with the Paraguayan defender did not warrant a caution — the aim being to spare Olise the risk of a semi-final ban if booked again against Morocco.
Amid this "FIFA chaos," a question arises: will the Royal Moroccan Football Federation make a similar move to protect its own at-risk players before Morocco face the Roosters in the quarter-final?
Five Moroccan players are carrying a yellow card and risk missing the semi-final if booked again against France: Issa Diop, Redouane Halhal, Azzedine Ounahi, Bilal El Khannouss and Achraf Hakimi.
But the rule is clear: cautions are only wiped once the entire quarter-final round is complete, not before the Morocco-France match. Any new card will therefore stay on the books and count directly toward a semi-final suspension should the Atlas Lions advance.
