England’s World Cup Semi-Final Referee Appointed: Ismail Elfath Takes Charge

FIFA has confirmed that American referee Ismail Elfath will officiate England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina.

The 44‑year‑old official previously oversaw group‑stage matches such as Japan versus the Netherlands and Uruguay versus Spain, and he also managed Norway’s 16th‑place win over five‑time champions Brazil.

He has issued six yellow cards and shown Uruguay midfielder Agustín Canobbio a straight red card for a high challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsí.

After being dismissed, Canobbio confronted the referee and grabbed his shirt.

The match in Atlanta on Wednesday (20:00 BST) will be broadcast live on BBC One.

American assistants Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins will support him, with Italian Maurizio Mariani serving as the fourth official.

Elfath has been a seemingly lucky presence for Argentina forward Lionel Messi.

He served as the fourth official during Argentina’s 2022 World Cup final victory over France and was the referee when Messi claimed his first trophy with Inter Miami—a penalty shootout win over Nashville SC in the 2023 Leagues Cup final.

Elfath has been a Major League Soccer referee since 2012 and has twice been named MLS Referee of the Year.

Originally from Morocco, Elfath moved to the United States at age 18 after winning a U.S. government‑backed diversity visa lottery.

Meanwhile, England’s Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor have been ruled out of contention to referee the World Cup final due to FIFA conflict‑of‑interest regulations.

FIFA rules prohibit officials from overseeing matches involving their own nation, and English and Argentine referees are also barred from matches between the two countries, partly due to lingering political tensions stemming from the 1982 Falklands conflict.

Argentine referee Facundo Tello is similarly excluded, and all three officials are also ineligible for the third‑place playoff, which will feature one of the teams.

The regulations also prevented Taylor from refereeing the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France.

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