MP urges Fifa to review England player suspension

Jul 07, 2026 - 10:05

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MP urges Fifa to review England player suspension

Noah Law MP for St Austell and Newquay stood in Westminster looking away from the camera. He is wearing classes and a blue suit and burgundy tie. — Noah Law MP has written to Fifa President Gianni Infantino requesting the one-match suspension shown to Jarrell Quansah be lifted [BBC]

An MP has written to Fifa requesting a one-match suspension of England defender Jarell Quansah at the World Cup be rescinded until after the tournament.

Noah Law sent a letter to Fifa President Gianni Infantino, requesting he lift Quansah's ban following a red card in England's 3-2 victory over Mexico on Monday.

It comes after United States striker Folarin Balogun's one-match suspension was lifted following a request from US President Donald Trump - a move widely criticised.

Law said the decision to send off Quansah was correct, but believed "it would be right to delay his suspension until after the completion of this World Cup" and rules had to be "applied equally" to participating nations.

England defender Jarell Quansah walking off the pitch after he was shown a straight red card in the Three Lions win over Mexico in Mexico City. He has his head in his hands and and is being consolidated by a member of the coaching staff. — England defender Quansah was shown a straight red card in the win over Mexico [PA Media]

Balogun became the 12th player to receive a red card at 2026 World Cup and was the first not to serve a suspension after Fifa's shock decision.

The decision was described by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) as "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable", while the Royal Belgian Football Association said it was "astonished" and was "investigating all potential options".

In the letter to Infantino, Law, the Labour MP for St Austell and Newquay in Cornwall, said: "We know that a similar situation arose earlier in the competition when United States forward Folarin Balogun received a red card during the Round of 32.

"The integrity of any major international tournament depends not only on players and officials adhering to the rules, but also on those rules being applied equally to all participating nations.

"I am sure we will be unable to justify a situation in which one player benefits from a delayed suspension while another, in materially similar circumstances, does not."

He added: "At a time when our multilateral system and the international rules-based order is under threat, I urge you to treat this matter with the utmost seriousness."

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