World Cup 2026: FIFA provided no explanation for handing Jarell Quansah two-match ban – Thomas Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel has criticised FIFA after football’s governing body increased Jarell Quansah’s suspension from one match to two, leaving England without the defender for a potential World Cup semi-final should they progress.

The Bayer Leverkusen defender was sent off during England’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca after referee Alireza Faghani upgraded a yellow card to a straight red following a lengthy VAR review.

The English-Ghanaian was dismissed for a late challenge on Jesus Gallardo, forcing England to survive the closing stages with 10 men before booking a quarter-final meeting with Norway in Miami.

England had expected Quansah to miss only the last-eight clash, but FIFA ruled the tackle amounted to “serious foul play”, extending the suspension to two matches and ruling him out of a possible semi-final as well.

Tuchel questions FIFA silence

The decision has further frustrated Tuchel, who had already criticised the standard of officiating during the tournament following the Mexico encounter. The England manager is also unhappy with FIFA’s lack of communication after the governing body recently overturned Folarin Balogun’s suspension without providing detailed public reasoning.

Speaking ahead of the Norway clash, Tuchel admitted he remains in the dark over the decision.

“We have no explanation. I don’t know if my comments had an impact on the decision to upgrade it.”

The German coach had previously argued that the refereeing at the tournament had not been up to the required standard, and Quansah’s extended ban has only intensified his concerns over consistency in disciplinary decisions.

Defensive dilemma before Norway clash

Quansah’s absence now presents Tuchel with a significant selection headache ahead of one of England’s biggest matches of the tournament.

Reece James has only recently returned to full training and may not yet be ready to start, while Ezri Konsa could be asked to shift out of position to fill the gap at right-back.

The suspension also weakens England’s defensive depth at a critical stage of the competition, with Tuchel now forced to reshuffle his back line against a Norway side looking to end the Three Lions’ World Cup campaign.

With a place in the semi-finals at stake, England must now overcome both a dangerous Norwegian team and the absence of one of their key defenders, while Tuchel continues to wait for answers from FIFA over a disciplinary decision that has overshadowed preparations for the quarter-final.