Following Jarell Quansah's straight red card against Mexico in England's victorious Round of 16 tie at the World Cup, the FA are exploring options to appeal referee Alireza Faghani's decision.
The development comes after FIFA's unprecedented decision to suspend USMNT forward Folarin Balogun's red card following his challenge against Bosnia and Herzegovina — allowing him to feature in the USMNT's eventual 4-1 defeat to Belgium in their own Round of 16 clash.
The decision was publicly revealed by US President Donald Trump, who claimed he had contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to help secure Balogun's availability. FIFA's controversial U-turn sparked heavy criticism, particularly from UEFA and the Belgium national team.
Turning attention back to Quansah, the Bayer Leverkusen defender is currently set to miss England's quarter-final showdown with Norway on Saturday. However, Infantino's unexpected intervention has sparked debate over what circumstances could now justify the suspension of a red-card ban.
How FIFA's Balogun Decision Has Changed The Debate
Even if Balogun's studs-up challenge on Bosnia and Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemovic was viewed by some as accidental, intent is not the deciding factor in a serious foul play decision.
The focus remains on the nature of the challenge and the danger posed to the opponent, with the contact appearing to twist Muharemovic's ankle and potentially causing a serious injury.
There has only been one other instance of a player avoiding a red-card suspension at a World Cup, with that coming in 1962 when Brazil's Garrincha was allowed to feature in the final after being sent off in the semi-finals.
With automatic bans not in place at the time, a disciplinary committee was responsible for deciding whether the suspension would stand. However, the decision was later surrounded by allegations of political interference - drawing comparisons with the USA's involvement in the present situation.
Article 27 of FIFA's Disciplinary Code states: “The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure."
Even so, the rule does not outline clear criteria for when such action can be taken, effectively giving FIFA freedom over how and when to intervene.
The ruling of Article 27 had never previously been used during a World Cup tournament, and teams have never been permitted to directly appeal a disciplinary decision in such circumstances.
With FIFA offering little explanation beyond referencing Article 27, the wider football community has been left questioning how the governing body determines when such an intervention is appropriate, and whether clearer guidelines are needed for future disciplinary decisions.
Does England Have Any Chance Of Overturning Quansah's Ban?
Despite both Balogun's and Quansah's instant dismissals being viewed by many as harsh, both incidents were appropriately reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee and ultimately fell within the laws of the game.
In Quansah's case, his high challenge on Mexico's Jesus Gallardo has generally been viewed by fans and pundits as a dangerous tackle, particularly due to his sliding follow-through with his studs showing.
Nevertheless, the 23-year-old right back's dismissal marked England's first red card in a major tournament since Wayne Rooney's infamous sending-off against Portugal at the 2006 World Cup.
In normal circumstances, an FA appeal against what appeared to be a justified red card decision would be dismissed as absurd. Yet the extraordinary handling of Balogun's suspension has created a damaging precedent, suggesting that a reversal may now be only a phone call away.
The appeal may have little chance of succeeding, but the main issue lies beyond Quansah. A straight red card has always meant an automatic one-match suspension in World Cup competition, but Balogun's controversial case has left football questioning whether those rules are truly set in stone - or simply negotiable.
