2026 World Cup: FIFA confirms referee for England vs Argentina semi-final
FIFA Appoints Ismail Elfath as Referee for World Cup Semi-final
FIFA has announced that Ismail Elfath will officiate the semi-final match of the 2026 World Cup between England and Argentina. The American referee has already overseen three matches during the tournament.
In his most recent assignment, Elfath officiated Norway’s 16-round victory over Brazil, where he was involved in two controversial penalty decisions. He initially did not award a penalty for a foul by Kristoffer Ajer on Matheus Cunha, a call later reversed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). Bruno Guimarães subsequently missed the resulting penalty kick. Later in that match, Elfath awarded a penalty for an alleged elbowing incident involving Leo Ostigard and Casemiro, which Neymar converted for a late consolation goal.
In addition to the knockout match, Elfath also refereed a group stage encounter between the Netherlands and Japan, which ended in a 2-2 draw, and Spain’s 1-0 victory over Uruguay. In the latter match, he issued a red card to Uruguay’s Agustín Canobbio for serious foul play amid a heated contest.
As he prepares for the high-stakes semi-final, Elfath’s experience in managing crucial moments and contentious calls will be closely scrutinized.
