England Defender Quansah Handed Two-Match Ban Following Round of 16 Red Card

England defender Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), who was sent off after receiving a red card in the Round of 16 of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, has been handed a two-match suspension.
FIFA announced on July 10 (KST) that it has imposed a two-match ban on Quansah following his dismissal in the match between Mexico and England.
As a result, Quansah will be unable to play in the quarterfinal match against Norway, scheduled for July 12 at Miami Stadium, as well as the semifinal match should England advance.
Quansah will only be able to return to the tournament if England reaches the final.
Quansah started as England's right-back in the Round of 16 match against Mexico held on July 6 (which England won 3-2). He was shown a red card in the 9th minute of the second half for a rough tackle on opposing defender Jesus Gallardo.
Following the ruling, international media outlets speculated that the act could be considered a serious foul, potentially leading to a two-match suspension for Quansah, and the decision has now been confirmed as expected.
Although there were reports that England was considering an appeal, prompted by the case of U.S. star striker Folarin Balogun whose suspension was deferred, Quansah could not avoid the disciplinary action resulting from his red card.
Balogun, who scored the winning goal in the Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 2 (which the U.S. won 2-0), was sent off after stepping on the ankle of opponent Tarik Muharemovic during a challenge in the second half. However, FIFA subsequently announced that it would defer the enforcement of his suspension for one year.
The decision sparked controversy, as it was reported that U.S. President Donald Trump had called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request a review of the disciplinary action.
Balogun ultimately played in the Round of 16 match against Belgium on July 7, and the U.S. was eliminated after a 1-4 defeat.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.