England Vs Argentina Referee Confirmed For World Cup Semi-Final

The referee has been confirmed for England Vs Argentina in Wednesday night's FIFA World Cup semi-final - and it could be bad news for England fans.

With a place in the World Cup final at stake, FIFA has appointed an experienced official to oversee one of the biggest fixtures of the tournament.

The appointment is likely to attract plenty of attention, and some controversy.

England Vs Argentina Referee Confirmed

American referee Ismail Elfath has been selected to take charge of Wednesday night's semi-final between England and Argentina.

The 44-year-old has already officiated three matches at this summer's World Cup, overseeing Japan's meeting with the Netherlands, Uruguay's clash against Spain and Norway's shock victory over Brazil in the knockout rounds.

Across those fixtures, Elfath has handed out six yellow cards and one straight red.

That dismissal came when Uruguay midfielder Agustin Canobbio was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Spain's Pau Cubarsi, with the incident ending in further controversy after Canobbio confronted the referee and grabbed his shirt.

Elfath will be assisted by fellow Americans Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins, while Italy's Maurizio Mariani has been appointed as fourth official.

England supporters may be concerned by one particular aspect of Elfath's record.

He was the fourth official during Argentina's victory over France in the 2022 World Cup final. Also, he refereed the 2023 Leagues Cup final, where Lionel Messi lifted his first trophy with Inter Miami.

Born in Morocco, Elfath relocated to the United States as a teenager after securing a diversity visa and has built a highly respected refereeing career since joining Major League Soccer in 2012.

Meanwhile, English referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor are unavailable for the latter stages of the tournament under FIFA regulations.

Officials cannot oversee matches involving their own country, while referees from England and Argentina are also prevented from taking charge of fixtures between the two nations due to the long-standing political sensitivities surrounding the 1982 Falklands conflict.

Argentine official Facundo Tello is similarly ineligible.