Ismail Elfath has been appointed referee for England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday night (8pm UK time) – news that is unlikely to be welcomed in the Three Lions camp.
Elfath has overseen three games in the tournament so far, including the controversial clash between Uruguay and Spain in which the South Americans were accused of trying to rough up the European champions.
Uruguay were handed just two yellow cards before the game spilled over in injury time when Agustin Canobbio was dismissed for chopping down Pau Cubarsi. Cannobio then confronted Elfath before leaving the field as Uruguay went home in disgrace.
Speaking afterwards, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente said: “It was not the most comfortable type of match, but that’s what referees are for. Refereeing is very difficult. I understand that there are tools, like VAR, that should help. I hope to play normal matches from now on. I don’t want to get into trouble and say anything about the referees.”
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Norway angered by VAR call in game with Brazil
Elfath and his all-American team were also involved in an awkward moment in the game between Brazil and Norway.
Brazil were awarded a penalty when Kristoffer Ajer tripped Matheus Cunha inside the area. Elfath waved play on initially but was asked to review his decision by the VAR, Tatiana Guzman from Nicaragua. When he did, the television replays failed to show an angle that showed Ajer got a small touch on the ball and the spot-kick was awarded. Bruno Guimaraes missed the subsequent penalty.
Away from the controversy, Elfath’s quest to reach the top of refereeing has a nice back story.
Having been born in Morocco, he moved to the USA as an 18-year-old after winning a diversity visa lottery. He graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in mechanical engineering.
The 44-year-old took charge of his first Major League Soccer game in 2012 and joined the FIFA ranks four years later.
Elfath’s 2026 World Cup stats
June 14 – Netherlands 2-2 Japan (three yellow cards, no reds)
June 27 – Uruguay 0-1 Spain (four yellow cards, one red)
July 5 – Brazil 1-2 Norway (one yellow card, no reds)
England’s opponents Argentina have ridden their luck
England will hope for a trouble-free evening against an Argentina side whose previous games have been laced with controversy.
Lionel Messi avoided a red card for raking his studs down the heel of Algeria’s Aissa Mandi in Argentina’s opener. Messi was let off and went on to score a hat-trick in a 3-0 win with Algeria putting in an official complaint to FIFA.
Another North African team felt hard done to when Egypt had a goal disallowed against Argentina in their round-of-16 clash. Their frustration was compounded when Mohamed Salah saw a penalty shout dismissed shortly before Enzo Fernandez scored the winner for the defending champions.
In the quarter-finals, Argentina were struggling to break down Switzerland until Breel Embolo was sent-off after receiving a second yellow card for simulation. Lionel Scaloni’s men went on to win 3-1 in extra-time.
When is England versus Argentina?
Date: July 15
Kick-off: 8pm UK time
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
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