Wednesday, July 15, 2026 - FIFA has appointed American referee Ismail Elfath to officiate Wednesday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina.
Elfath, 44, has already officiated three games at the
tournament -- Japan vs. Netherlands, Uruguay vs. Spain and Brazil vs. Norway
and has issued six yellow cards and one red card, to Uruguay's Agustín
Canobbio.
The appointment of Elfath, who will be assisted by fellow
Americans Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins, makes him the second Concacaf official
to be given a semifinal following the announcement of El Salvadorean referee
Ivan Barton to the France-Spain clash in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday.
Argentina progressed to the semi-finals after defeating Cape
Verde 3-2 in the Round of 32, edging Egypt 3-2 in the Round of 16 and
overcoming Switzerland 3-1 in the quarter-finals.
England also enjoyed a strong knockout run, beating DR Congo
2-1 in the Round of 32, Mexico 3-2 in the Round of 16 and Norway 2-1 in the
quarter-finals.
England and Argentina will meet for the first time since
2005 when they play on Wednesday and the game will be their first World Cup
encounter since the 2002 World Cup.
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