Thomas Tuchel questioned FIFA’s handling of Folarin Balogun’s suspension after the USMNT forward was cleared to play against Belgium, raising concerns about where retroactive disciplinary reviews now begin and end.
The issue surfaced after Jarell Quansah was sent off 54 minutes into England’s match against Mexico at the Azteca for a dangerous tackle on Mexico Jesús Gallardo. The Bayer Leverkusen defender is facing a one-match ban, and Tuchel jokingly accepted the idea that England could ask President Donald Trump to intervene.
“Maybe, that’s a good starting point,” Tuchel replied when asked whether England could turn to Trump over Quansah.
CBS reported that Balogun’s suspension was put on hold after Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino about the red card and ban. The New York Times reported that Trump asked for the suspension to be reviewed, while The Guadian cited sources saying there were as many as three calls between Trump and FIFA. Trump later thanked FIFA for “doing what was right” in a social media post after Balogun was made available.
Belgium claims FIFA has made any appeal from them against the reversal “inadmissible.” The case has drawn attention because FIFA had confirmed to news outlets after Balogun’s red card that World Cup red cards were not open to appeal.
Tuchel Questions FIFA’s Use of Article 27
Tuchel made clear he did not think Balogun deserved a red card for the incident against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but he also pointed to the VAR check and referee review in the moment as part of the original decision-making process.
His broader concern is Article 27 in FIFA’s disciplinary code, which allows world soccer’s governing body to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.
“Who overturns this decision and when and on what grounds? And how far does this go now?” Tuchel asked. “It is just strange for me. We just want to have consistency in the decisions.”
Tuchel then compared the situation to Declan Rice’s yellow card against Mexico, a decision he did not agree with, and asked whether similar calls could now be challenged after the fact.
“Where does this start and where does this end now? Can we overturn it or not overturn it? What’s going on? Where to draw the line is the question that I ask. I have no answer to that,” Tuchel said.
England Face Right-Back Shortage Before Norway
Quansah’s suspension adds to England’s problems at right back. Reece James is dealing with a hamstring injury and has no set return date, while Tino Livramento missed the start of the tournament because of a calf injury that required surgery.
Quansah is not a natural right back, but his absence leaves England with another gap before the quarterfinal against Norway. Trent Alexander-Arnold was not selected for the World Cup.
If James is not ready to play against Norway, Ezri Konsa is the likely starter. The Aston Villa defender has started every match so far in central defense, but moved to the right after Quansah was dismissed, with John Stones coming off the bench to play in the middle.