Didier Deschamps confirmed Wednesday that FIFA rejected France’s appeal of Michael Olise’s controversial yellow card, meaning the midfielder will walk a tightrope for the rest of the World Cup. One more booking and he’s out of the semifinals.
The incident happened in the 97th minute of France’s 1-0 win over Paraguay. Olise grabbed Matías Galarza’s jersey. Galarza went down. Referee showed yellow. Replays didn’t exactly clarify whether there was enough contact to warrant a card. But FIFA wasn’t interested in revisiting it.
“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,” Deschamps said.
What makes this sting a little more for France is the contrast with what happened to the U.S. men’s national team. Folarin Balogun got a red card. Then Donald Trump called FIFA boss Gianni Infantino and argued for Balogun’s reinstatement. FIFA lifted the suspension. Balogun played in the 4-1 loss to Belgium that sent the U.S. home.
France doesn’t have that kind of phone-a-friend option. So Olise plays Thursday against Morocco with a target on his back.
A quarterfinal that feels bigger than the game
This is France’s fourth straight World Cup quarterfinal. Win it and they become just the third nation to make three consecutive semifinal appearances, joining Germany and Brazil. That’s elite company.
But the press conference Wednesday wasn’t just about Olise’s yellow card. Deschamps fielded questions about racist comments directed at Kylian Mbappé from a Paraguayan senator after the Paraguay loss. Mbappé condemned the remarks. Deschamps said his star forward is locked in.
“Kylian is OK. Whatever happens, I don’t want to look back and think about it again. He’s a very strong guy mentally, physically. He’s just focused on tomorrow’s game,” Deschamps said.
Officiating, crowd control, and Deschamps’ future
There’s also the matter of three French players getting yellow cards against Paraguay compared to zero for Paraguay. Deschamps shrugged it off. “It is out of our control. I trust the refereeing. Some refereeing decisions may lead to discussions. It really depends on everyone’s opinion. Our opponent is Morocco, not the referee.”
France is also bracing for potential unrest. Law enforcement is deploying thousands of officers ahead of the Morocco match, which is a rematch of the Qatar 2022 semifinal. That game carries weight on and off the field.
And then there’s the question everyone keeps asking Deschamps: Is this his last tournament? He’s been in charge for 14 years, won a World Cup in 2018, captained the 1998 squad as a player. He’s leaving after this tournament, already announced that. But he’s not ready to treat Thursday like a goodbye.
“Thank you for your concerns. But I do not think about it. The last game could have been the last one. In my head, with the technical staff, we want to win tomorrow. That’s the objective.”
France plays Morocco on Thursday. Olise plays with one eye on the referee. And Deschamps plays like it’s just another match — even if it’s not.
Leave a Comment