Why did Michael Olise escape red card after challenge on Rodri in France vs Spain FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final game?

Olise was lucky to not get booked after his horrible tackle.

Michael Olise avoided a red card in France’s FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final against Spain following a horrific tackle on Rodri.

The Bayern Munich winger struck the former Ballon d’Or winner with his cleats up on the midfielder’s ankle in the first half of the high-stakes match. However, the Spanish players started surrounding the referee while Rodri lay down in pain.

With La Roja’s players demanding the red card, referee Ivan Barton decided not to book the forward.

Rodri, a Manchester City midfielder, had control of the ball and evaded Olise’s press. However, as Olise raced back, he foolishly went into a tackle from behind.

Rodri had already released the ball, but it was grabbed by Olise’s studs on his back leg. The tackle caused the 30-year-old to grimace in discomfort, but the horrific tackle didn’t result in any card for Michael Olise, which was one of the surprising parts of the match.

Why did Michael Olise escape a red card after his challenge on Rodri?

Many were shocked that Michael Olise wasn’t even booked in the game following his horrific tackle.

Maybe the referee didn’t want to decide the match on his own so early in the game, hence he decided to avoid showing any card to the former Crystal Palace forward.

But fans in the stand were unhappy as he should have been deserving of a yellow card, as it was one of the horrible tackles on Rodri, which could have resulted in an injury.

But luckily, Rodri was able to get up and continue playing in the game without any pain after his treatment on the pitch by Spain’s medical staff.

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