FIFA has appointed American referee Ismail Elfath, who previously handled the controversial Norway-Brazil Round of 16 clash, to officiate the highly anticipated 2026 World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina.
FIFA has announced that American referee Ismail Elfath will officiate the highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final clash between England and Argentina.
The match is expected to be one of the biggest games of the tournament, with both teams battling for a place in the World Cup final.
According to PM News, Elfath has already handled three matches at the competition and is regarded as one of FIFA’s experienced officials, with his appointment reflecting the confidence FIFA has in his ability to manage high-pressure encounters involving some of the world’s best players.
The American referee was most recently in charge of Norway’s dramatic Round of 16 victory over Brazil, a game that drew attention over two controversial penalty decisions involving the Brazilian side.
In the first incident, Elfath did not initially award a penalty when Norway defender Kristoffer Ajer appeared to foul Brazil’s Matheus Cunha inside the box, but a VAR review overturned the call and awarded Brazil a penalty, which Bruno Guimaraes failed to convert.
Later in the match, Elfath awarded another penalty to Brazil after ruling that Norway defender Leo Ostigard had fouled Casemiro. Neymar converted the spot kick, though it proved only a late consolation as Norway secured victory.
Before that encounter, Elfath officiated the Netherlands’ 2-2 draw against Japan during the group stage and Spain’s narrow 1-0 win over Uruguay.
His performance in the Spain-Uruguay game also drew attention after he showed a red card to Uruguay forward Agustin Canobbio for a dangerous challenge, in a fiercely contested encounter that demanded firm officiating throughout.
With tensions expected to run high between England and Argentina, FIFA will be counting on Elfath’s experience to ensure a fair and well-controlled match, as the winner moves one step closer to lifting football’s most prestigious trophy.
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