England have reached the Quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after beating the co-hosts Mexico in the Round of 16 by 3-2. We experienced another thriller, where the English defender Jarell Quansah received a red card.
While England were leading by 2-1, as all goals were recorded in the first half, Jarell Quansah received a direct red card in the 54th minute. As a result, England fought with a 10-man for 36 minutes + stoppage times.
54’: Jarell Quansah (England) — Direct Red Card for Reckless Challenge
Jarell Quansah made a reckless challenge on the Mexican defender Jesús Gallardo. The referee went to the VAR monitor to review the incident, and then showed a direct red card to the English full-back.
How many matches will Jarell Quansah miss?
If there is no larger sanction, Quansah will face a one-match ban. As England will face Norway in the Quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on 11 July, the full-back will miss the game.
Controversy over red card in FIFA World Cup 2026 featuring Folarin Balogun
Before the Mexico vs England match, Folarin Balogun's red card set a new controversy in the FIFA World Cup 2026. While the United States’ forward received a red card for a serious foul in their last game, where the hosts beat Bosnia and Herzegovina by 2-0 in the Round of 32, he would surely miss the Round of 16 game against Belgium on Monday due to a one-match suspension.
However, FIFA has taken a shocking decision by surprisingly making Folarin Balogun available for the Round of 16 match against Belgium. FIFA officially informed, “By the operation of Article 27 FDC, the implementation of the automatic match suspension for Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one year.”
Folarin Balogun is a crucial name for the USMNT, who has scored three goals in the FIFA World Cup 2026, including scoring one goal in the Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Meanwhile, Belgium have the chance to appeal this decision, while the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has expressed its shock over the match-suspension cancellation decision on the USMNT forward.
https://twitter.com/i/status/2073850176926580827
The UEFA has also released a statement criticising FIFA’s shocking decision, which claims "Football, like any other sports, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition. Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not. A minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted.”
