A British Member of Parliament has called on FIFA to delay England defender Jarrell Quansah’s one-match suspension until after the FIFA World Cup, arguing that he should receive the same disciplinary relief previously granted to United States forward Folarin Balogun.
In a letter dated July 6, 2026, addressed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Labour MP Noah Law urged the world football governing body to postpone Quansah’s suspension after the defender was sent off during England’s World Cup match against Mexico. Law said the request was necessary to ensure fairness after FIFA froze Balogun’s suspension following his red card in the Round of 32.
Law acknowledged that Quansah’s dismissal was justified but argued that the application of disciplinary measures should be consistent across all participating nations.
“Whilst I believe that it was right for Jarrell Quansah to have received this red card and that refereeing rules must be applied consistently, I believe it would be right to delay his suspension until after the completion of this World Cup,” the letter stated.
The MP noted that Balogun had benefited from a delayed suspension earlier in the tournament, saying the same principle should apply to Quansah.
“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.”
Law argued that applying different disciplinary standards in similar circumstances could undermine confidence in FIFA’s decision-making process.
“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 wrote.
He also urged FIFA to consider the matter urgently.
“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.”
Law concluded the letter by expressing hope that FIFA would respond and communicate the outcome of its decision.
FIFA had not publicly responded to the letter at the time of filing this report.
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