England beat Mexico 3-2 in the 2026 World Cup on July 5, but the result isn’t what has everyone talking. Defender Jarrel Quansah was shown a straight red card in the second half after VAR intervened on a challenge against Mexico’s Jesus Gallardo, and now the English FA is considering an appeal to FIFA to overturn the suspension.
What happened on the pitch
Quansah’s challenge on Gallardo initially drew no whistle from the on-field referee. Then VAR stepped in, reviewed the footage, and upgraded it to a straight red for serious foul play. England played the final stretch of the match with ten men but still managed to win thanks to a last-minute Harry Kane goal that sent them through to the quarterfinals against Norway.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel was not subtle about his feelings. He called the challenge “not a red card” and pointed to what he sees as a pattern of inconsistent officiating throughout the tournament. This was the fourth red card issued to an England player during the 2026 World Cup.
The appeal angle gets interesting because of precedent. Tuchel specifically referenced the case of US striker Folarin Balogun, whose red card suspension was controversially lifted earlier in the tournament. If FIFA overturned one, the argument goes, they should overturn another under similar circumstances.
