Referee Ismail Elfath chosen for England vs Argentina World Cup semifinal© Getty
The referee line-up for the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final between Argentina and England is out, with the USA’s Ismail Elfath leading the roster of officials for the high-profile clash in Atlanta on Wednesday. The name Elfath does ring a bell for World Cup fans, as the American has officiated in a few other high-profile games in this tournament already. While announcing the referee panel, FIFA confirmed that Elfath will be assisted by fellow Americans Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins for the match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
This will be the fourth game of the ongoing World Cup for the Morocco-born Elfath, who took charge of group-stage matches between the Netherlands and Japan, as well as Uruguay and Spain. Both matches were crucial in deciding the fate of the two groups in the World Cup. Elfath was also given the charge for Norway’s 2-1 win over Brazil in the round of 16.
The match officials for @FIFAWorldCup match 102 have been appointed.
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) July 13, 2026
Who Is Ismail Elfath?
The 44-year-old referee wouldn’t be a new face for Argentina captain Lionel Messi or the local football fans in the United States. He has officiated in MLS matches since 2012.
In fact, back in Qatar 2022, he was a part of the refereeing team when Argentina took on France in the World Cup final. Elfath served as the fourth official in the match that saw Lionel Messi and his team being crowned the world champions.
The World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina will see the two teams meet for the first time since 2005. It will also be their first World Cup encounter since the 2002 World Cup, where the Three Lions emerged triumphant.
Argentina’s run to the semi-finals in this World Cup has been at the centre of many controversial decisions. A series of high-profile refereeing and VAR decisions were analysed under the microscope and scrutinised along the way. Be it Messi avoiding a red card for a foul on Algeria’s Aissa Mandi during the defending champions’ opening game of this World Cup or Egypt’s second-half goal being disallowed due to a foul in the build-up play, a lot has gone Argentina’s way in this tournament so far.
The referee, hence, is bound to be under the spotlight.
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