Former England forward Alan Shearer has publicly criticized FIFA after center-back Jarell Quansah was suspended for two matches at the 2026 World Cup.
Quansah received a red card in England’s hard-fought 3-2 victory over Mexico in the round of 16. After reviewing the incident, FIFA decided to ban this defender for two matches. That means Quansah will be absent from the quarterfinals and even the semifinals if coach Thomas Tuchel’s army continues to win the right to advance. Close-up of the play that caused Quansah to receive a red card.
The penalty immediately caused controversy in England. According to the latest information, the English Football Association also does not have the right to appeal this decision. This is the detail that made Alan Shearer particularly angry.
Speaking on a podcast show, the top scorer in Premier League history argued that FIFA’s handling lacked consistency compared to several other cases at the tournament.
Shearer said: “FIFA brought all this on themselves. How can Quansah be suspended for two matches? Balogun once received a penalty, then it was suspended, and finally it was even cleared. Meanwhile, Quansah now has to sit out both of the next two matches if England advance. This is truly a scandal. FIFA’s image becomes very bad after this decision.”
Shearer’s comparison mainly targeted the consistency in disciplinary penalties at the 2026 World Cup. In a tournament with a dense match schedule and knockout matches just a few days apart, losing a player for two matches can create a huge impact.
For England, Quansah’s suspension also causes the defense to lose another important personnel option at the time the tournament enters its decisive phase, especially the England vs Norway match tomorrow morning, July 12, in the quarterfinals. After the hard-fought victory over Mexico, the Three Lions still have not a few problems to solve, especially the ability to control the match and solidity at the back line.
The controversy may not stop yet, but for now England is forced to accept the decision from FIFA and prepare for the quarterfinal round without Quansah’s services.
