FIFA bans England's defender Quansah for two matches after red card against Mexico

England's appeal without success

FIFA thus proved considerably less lenient than in the case of American Folarin Balogun, who was allowed to continue playing despite having previously received a red card in the round of 16 against Belgium (1-4). That decision caused outrage worldwide and had recently also become the subject of political discussions surrounding FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

FIFA shows toughness – in contrast to the Balogun case

In addition to the quarter-final against Norway on Saturday evening in Miami, a potential semi-final is also affected by Quansah's suspension. Only in the final or the third-place match could the 23-year-old theoretically return to action. England thus loses an important defensive option precisely in the decisive phase of the tournament.

The ban comes at a time when England are already struggling with personnel concerns. Coach Thomas Tuchel must now reorganize his defensive formation for the match against Norway. The Norwegian team, led by superstar Erling Haaland – who scored two goals in the 2-1 round-of-16 victory over Paraguay – travels to Miami brimming with confidence and in goalscoring form.

Norway in euphoria: Oslo expects 100,000 fans

With seven tournament goals, Haaland sits alongside Kylian Mbappé (France) and Lionel Messi (Argentina) at the top of the World Cup scoring charts. Messi leads the rankings with eight goals and could extend his lead further in Argentina's quarter-final against Switzerland on Sunday (03:00 CEST).

In Norway, meanwhile, anticipation for the clash with England is enormous. In the center of the capital Oslo alone, around 100,000 people are once again expected for a major World Cup public viewing. 22,000 tickets for a public viewing event in a stadium in the city sold out "within seconds" on Thursday, according to the organizer, as Norwegian media reported.

Captain Martin Ödegaard struck a combative tone at a press conference at the training ground of MLS club Inter Miami: "Es gab einige Dinge, die hätten besser laufen können, und wir haben sie behoben, einfach, um uns bestmöglich auf ein wichtiges Spiel vorzubereiten." Coach Stale Solbakken described the situation pragmatically with regard to the accommodation: "Da liefen ein paar Dinge nicht rund, die FIFA hat dem zugestimmt."

FIFA scandal: Warner attacks Infantino

For their part, England look back on a strong round-of-16 performance that, however, took on a bitter aftertaste due to Quansah's sending off. Following the 3-2 victory over hosts Mexico, the defender had jumped over an advertising board and fallen in the process. His absence will occupy the team in the coming days.

Alongside the sporting developments, another FIFA scandal is making headlines. Former FIFA vice president Jack Warner accused Infantino of having "brought football into disrepute" by allegedly allowing Donald Trump to interfere in the suspension of US striker Folarin Balogun. Warner, who resigned in 2011 after multiple allegations were made against him, announced: "Ich bin fest davon überzeugt, dass Infantino die Wahl nächstes Jahr verlieren sollte, und ich werde alles tun, um dabei zu helfen."

Coaching change in Mexico: Márquez takes over

Pierluigi Collina rejected the allegations. Speaking to the news agency AP, he stated: "Er ist ein erfahrener und hoch angesehener Schiedsrichter, und wir haben volles Vertrauen in ihn als zuverlässigen Unparteiischen." On possible outside influences on officials, he added pointedly: "Niemand kann behaupten, dass Schiedsrichterentscheidungen von irgendjemandem beeinflusst werden können, nicht einmal vom FIFA-Präsidenten."

There is also movement on the touchline. Just days after Mexico's round-of-16 World Cup exit, the long-planned coaching change has been completed: Rafael Márquez is taking over the national team. According to the Mexican federation, the promotion of the 47-year-old to head coach had been planned for after the World Cup since his appointment as assistant coach two years ago. "Die Ernennung von Rafael Márquez ist Teil eines geordneten Übergangs," the official statement read. Javier Aguirre, 20 years his senior, had prepared Márquez for his new tasks with a view to the 2030 World Cup.

Away from the pitch, the 2026 World Cup is also casting its shadow: at the finals in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, attendance figures are, according to FIFA, slightly below the level of 1994, when Brazil won the final against Italy. At that time, the average stood at 68,991 spectators per match; currently it is 65,204. Due to the significantly higher number of matches and 48 participating teams, the World Cup is nevertheless smashing the attendance record: according to FIFA, 6,259,584 people have already attended the 96 matches played so far before the final eight games.

French security precautions ahead of Morocco clash

The historical context adds extra edge to the Norwegian-English encounter. For Switzerland, who have reached a World Cup quarter-final for the first time since 1954 following a dramatic penalty shootout against Colombia, the match against Argentina on Sunday represents a historic moment. Mario Eggimann summed up the mood in the Swiss camp: "Meine Zimmernachbarn sind wahrscheinlich aufgewacht."

In France, meanwhile, preparations are underway for possible unrest ahead of their own quarter-final against Morocco on Thursday evening (22:00 CEST). An estimated 2 to 2.2 million Moroccans and people with Moroccan roots live in France, making the encounter particularly explosive off the pitch as well.

Meanwhile, other stars of the World Cup are pursuing their own goals. Lionel Messi scored in Argentina's 3-2 victory over Egypt to make it 2-2 and reclaimed the lead in the all-time World Cup scoring charts with eight tournament goals. With a bit of luck, the Argentine could break Just Fontaine's record from 1958 (13 goals) in the final or the third-place match.