FIFA has rejected the appeal filed by the French national team to annul the yellow card received by Michael Olise during the 1-0 win over Paraguay in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, according to France manager Didier Deschamps on Wednesday.

Olise, one of the tournament's standout players so far, received the caution in the final minutes of a highly tense match in Philadelphia, after a clash with Paraguay's Matías Galarza.

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Deschamps said during a press conference in Foxborough on the eve of the quarter-final against Morocco: "The yellow card has not been changed. We received a notification from FIFA this morning confirming the decision." TV replays showed limited contact between the players, as Olise put his finger in front of his mouth before Galarza fell to the ground claiming a blow to the face. After the yellow card was upheld, Olise would be at risk of suspension for the semi-final if he receives another yellow card during the match against Morocco, should France advance, where they would face the winner of Spain vs Belgium. Both Bradley Barcola and Manu Koné face the same fate, having also received yellow cards in the Paraguay match. Regarding the fitness of midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, who missed the round of 16 match due to a thigh injury, Deschamps said: "Tchouaméni feels better, but I can't say more than that. He might participate in today's training, and I will assess his condition. The rest of the players are all ready." If France lose to Morocco in a match that is a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, which ended with a 2-0 win for the French, it would be Deschamps's last match in charge after he announced he would leave the position he held for 14 years. However, he confirmed he is not thinking about that possibility, saying: "I don't think about that at all. All our focus is on the match against Morocco, and our only goal is to give the best possible performance and achieve victory." لح - اس/دع