England's World Cup semi-final clash with Argentina will be refereed by Ismail Elfath, a Moroccan-born American official who has a remarkable record of officiating Lionel Messi's teams to victory.
In a move that has sparked further controversy, FIFA has confirmed that Elfath will be the man in the middle for the highly-anticipated match at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday. This development comes just days after the governing body faced fresh allegations of favouritism towards Argentina, with critics accusing officials of conspiring to help the reigning champions win the tournament.
Elfath has a history of officiating Messi's teams, having refereed the Argentine forward four times at club level, with Messi's side emerging victorious on each occasion. Since Messi signed for MLS outfit Inter Miami in July 2023, Elfath has officiated the Argentine forward four times, with Messi scoring four times across the other three MLS games.
The 44-year-old's approach to refereeing has been described as firm, with 41 yellow cards and three red cards dished out in 10 MLS matches he officiated in before the season paused for the World Cup. At this year's World Cup, Elfath has issued eight yellow cards and one red card across three matches. His most recent match had a controversial moment when he initially dismissed Brazil's appeals for a penalty after Norway defender Kristoffer Ajer fouled Matheus Cunha, but VAR intervened and Elfath overturned his decision before Bruno Guimaraes saw his spot-kick saved.
The latest incident to fuel allegations of refereeing bias came on Saturday when Switzerland's Manuel Akanji claimed everything was "against us" after their 3-1 quarter-final exit in extra-time. Switzerland's players and manager were incensed after Breel Embolo became the first player to be sent off as a result of a new rule for mistaken identity. FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina has hit back at critics, insisting that officials cannot be influenced by anyone, following Egypt's complaints after their last-16 defeat by Argentina.
The match between England and Argentina promises to be a thrilling encounter, with both teams seeking to reach their first World Cup final since 1966 and 1986, respectively. As the world watches with bated breath, one thing is certain: Ismail Elfath will be at the centre of it all, with the weight of his remarkable record with Messi's teams hanging precariously in the balance.
Source: Daily Mail