When the World Championships are finished in a few days, the dishes will come, there will be a number of topics that all extend beyond how cool it is to row. Bad refereeing decisions and more importantly VAR, which was supposed to be a guarantee that everything works according to the rules will be the topic.
There is no doubt that Argentina, surely because of the friendship between their president and the president of the United States, has greatly benefited, as have large nations with many paying fans.
Read: Norway’s World Cup squad that is praised back in Norway is worth a total of 589.2 million euros
England are terrified that tomorrow Wednesday they will be on the wrong side of positive refereeing in the semi-final against Argentina.
Ismail Elfath will lead England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday night – news that is unlikely to be welcomed in the Three Lions camp. The referee has already made headlines in this championship.
The 44-year-old American has refereed three matches in the tournament so far – including the controversial clash between Uruguay and Spain, where the South Americans were accused of harshly attacking the European champions.
Uruguay only received two yellow cards before injury time, when Agustín Canobbio was sent off for fouling Pau Cubarsí. Canobbio then confronted Elfath before leaving the pitch – and Uruguay went home in disgrace.
Spain boss Luis de la Fuente was clear after the game:
“It wasn’t the most comfortable type of game, but that’s what referees are for. Judging 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.
Norway also affected by Elfath decisions
Elfath and his all-American refereeing team were also involved in an unpleasant moment during the match between Brazil and Norway.
Brazil got a penalty when Kristoffer Ajer felled Matheus Cunha inside the box. Elfath initially waved play on, but was asked to review the decision by VAR – Tatiana Guzmán from Nicaragua. The TV footage did not show an angle that proved that Ajer got a small touch on the ball – and the penalty was awarded. Bruno Guimarães did miss the penalty.
But the Norwegians were still left with a feeling that the referee’s decision could have gone either way – and that they had been cheated.
Elfath’s journey: From Morocco to the world’s biggest stage
Away from the controversy, Elfath’s pursuit of the pinnacle of his refereeing career has a nice backstory. He was born in Morocco and moved to the United States as an 18-year-old after winning a diversity visa lottery. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas.
He refereed his first MLS match in 2012 and became a FIFA referee four years later.
Elfath’s World Cup statistics 2026:
| Date | Match | Yellow cards | Red cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 14 | Netherlands 2-2 Japan | 3 | 0 |
| June 27 | Uruguay 0-1 Spain | 4 | 1 |
| July 5 | Brazil 1–2 Norway | 1 | 0 |
Argentina has ridden on luck
England will be hoping for a trouble-free night against an Argentine side whose matches have so far been marred by controversy.
Lionel Messi avoided a red card for putting his heel down against Algeria’s Aïssa Mandi in Argentina’s opening match. He escaped – and scored a hat-trick in the 3-0 victory. Algeria filed an official complaint with FIFA.
In the last eight against Egypt, a goal was disallowed, Mohamed Salah was denied a penalty, and soon after, Enzo Fernández scored the winning goal for the reigning champions.
In the quarter-finals, Argentina struggled to break down Switzerland – until Breel Embolo was sent off for his second yellow card, after simulation. Argentina won 3-1 after extra time.
When is the match played?
- Date: July 15
- Kick-off: 20:00 UK Time / 21:00 Norwegian Time
- Arena: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
