Ismail Elfath Appointed Referee for England vs Argentina Semi-Final
Fifa has confirmed that American referee Ismail Elfath will officiate the World Cup semi-final match between England and Argentina.
The 44-year-old Elfath has refereed several matches in the tournament, including group stage games between Japan and the Netherlands, and Uruguay versus Spain. He also officiated Norway's last-16 victory over Brazil, a five-time World Cup champion.
During the Uruguay-Spain match, Elfath issued six yellow cards and showed a straight red card to Uruguay midfielder Agustin Canobbio for a high challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi. Following the dismissal, Canobbio confronted Elfath and grabbed his shirt.
The semi-final match will take place in Atlanta on Wednesday at 20:00 BST and will be broadcast live on BBC One.
Assistant referees for the match will be fellow Americans Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins, with Italian Maurizio Mariani serving as the fourth official.
Elfath's Connection to Lionel Messi
Elfath has been considered a fortunate presence for Argentina's star forward Lionel Messi. He served as the fourth official during Argentina's 2022 World Cup final victory over France. Additionally, Elfath was the referee when Messi secured his first trophy with Inter Miami, overseeing the penalty shootout win against Nashville SC in the 2023 Leagues Cup final.
Elfath has been officiating in Major League Soccer since 2012 and has earned the MLS Referee of the Year award twice. Originally from Morocco, he moved to the United States at age 18 after winning a US government-backed diversity visa lottery.
Referee Eligibility and Conflict of Interest
England's Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor have been excluded from refereeing the World Cup final due to Fifa regulations concerning conflicts of interest. Referees are prohibited from officiating matches involving their own country. Moreover, English and Argentine officials are also barred from refereeing games involving either nation because of their political rivalry, which partly stems from the Falklands conflict in 1982.
Argentine referee Facundo Tello is similarly ineligible for the final for the same reasons. Consequently, all three officials are also disqualified from refereeing the third-place playoff, as it will feature one of the two teams.
These regulations previously prevented Taylor from officiating the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France.
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