Ismail Elfath: the Referee for the England-argentina Semifinal
WHO:
Al Jazeera - Ismail Elfath was born in Casablanca, Morocco, and migrated to the United States in 2001 after securing a visa under the US Diversity Visa Program.
Al Jazeera - Elfath graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas and later became a naturalized US citizen.
Al Jazeera - Ismail Elfath, a 44-year-old Moroccan-American football referee.
Yahoo Sports - Elfath is the sole representative for the US at the World Cup.
ESPN - Elfath is officiating the semifinal match between England and Argentina.
WHAT:
Al Jazeera - Elfath was the fourth official for the 2022 World Cup final, where Argentina defeated France on penalties after a 3-3 draw.
Yahoo Sports - Elfath has officiated several matches involving Argentina captain Messi since his move to MLS in 2023, including Inter Miami’s 4-2 win against Orlando City in March.
ESPN - Elfath was appointed as referee for the 2025-26 Concacaf Champions Cup final between Toluca and Tigres.
ESPN - Elfath officiated the 2023 Leagues Cup final, where Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami beat Nashville 11-10 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Al Jazeera - Elfath has been named the referee for the semifinal match between England and Argentina, marking his fourth match at the 2026 World Cup.
Al Jazeera - Elfath issued a red card to Uruguay’s Agustin Canobbio for a wild lunge on Pau Cubarsi during the matches he officiated.
Yahoo Sports - Elfath was appointed as referee for the 2025-26 Concacaf Champions Cup final between Toluca and Tigres.
ESPN - Elfath officiated the 2023 Leagues Cup final, where Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami beat Nashville 11-10 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Al Jazeera - Elfath will officiate the semifinal match between England and Argentina.
Yahoo Sports - This is Elfath's fourth match at the 2026 World Cup.
Al Jazeera - Elfath has officiated three previous matches: a 2-2 draw between Japan and the Netherlands, a 1-0 win for Spain against Uruguay, and a 2-1 victory for Norway over Brazil.
Yahoo Sports - Elfath issued seven yellow cards and one red card during the three matches he officiated.
WHERE:
Al Jazeera - The semifinal match will take place at Atlanta Stadium.
WHEN:
ESPN - The semifinal kicks off at 3pm ET/12pm PT/8pm BST.
Al Jazeera - The semifinal match is scheduled for Wednesday.
WHY:
Al Jazeera - Elfath's journey to refereeing began due to poor officiating decisions he experienced as a player.
HOW:
ESPN - Marco Di Bello is the video assistant referee for the semifinal, with Chile’s Juan Lara assisting him. Nicaragua’s Tatiana Guzman is the support VAR.
Al Jazeera - For the semifinal, Elfath will be assisted by Americans Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins, with Italy’s Maurizio Mariani as the fourth official and Daniele Bindoni as the reserve assistant referee.
ESPN - Marco Di Bello is the video assistant referee for the semifinal, with Chile’s Juan Lara assisting him. Nicaragua’s Tatiana Guzman is the support VAR.
Al Jazeera - Elfath started officiating after attending a refereeing clinic and worked in youth games, high schools, and semi-pro leagues while maintaining a full-time job in IT sales.
Yahoo Sports - Elfath became a FIFA referee in 2016 and was part of the first worldwide on-field Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review during a USL match that year.
Referee Ismail Elfath, known for officiating the thrilling 2022 World Cup final where Argentina triumphed over France in a penalty shootout, has been appointed to oversee the 2025-26 Concacaf Champions Cup final between Toluca and Tigres. This follows his recent experience officiating the 2023 Leagues Cup final, where Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami secured a nail-biting victory against Nashville, winning 11-10 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. For the upcoming semifinal, Marco Di Bello will serve as the video assistant referee, assisted by Chile’s Juan Lara, with Nicaragua’s Tatiana Guzman providing support as the VAR.