The referee and assistants for Wednesday’s mouth-watering 2026 World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina have been announced.
England and Argentina go head-to-head for the first time since a thrilling friendly in November 2005. The Three Lions won that fixture 3-2, with Michael Owen scoring two late goals at the Stade de Geneve in Switzerland.
The last time they faced each other in a major tournament was in 2002, when England captain David Beckham completed his redemption arc by scoring the only goal of the game from the penalty spot, four years after being sent off at France ’98 for a petulant kick on Diego Simeone.
The most famous World Cup encounter between the two nations, though, occurred at the Azteca Stadium in 1986. Diego Maradona cemented his status as an Argentina legend by scoring his ‘Hand of God’ and ‘Goal of the Century’ goals in the space of four minutes.
If Wednesday’s semi-final is half as dramatic as 1986’s quarter-final then fans are in for a treat.
It’s been confirmed that American referee Ismail Elfath will take charge of the match at the Atlanta Stadium, with his compatriots Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins assigned as his two assistants.
The fourth official is Italy’s Maurizio Mariani, while Daniele Bindoni is listed as the reserve assistant referee.
Elfath, 44, was born in Morocco but moved to the United States in 2001 before later becoming a naturalised US citizen.
He’s worked as a referee in Major League Soccer since 2012 and a FIFA-listed referee since 2016.
He was the fourth official for the 2022 World Cup final, won by Argentina after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over France.
At this summer’s World Cup, Elfath took charge of the 2-2 draw between Netherlands and Japan in the group stages, the fiery encounter between Spain and Uruguay, and Norway’s 2-1 win over Brazil in the Round of 16.
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While the American’s credentials look reasonably impressive on paper, fans have not reacted well to his appointment.
One football fan said on X (Twitter): “So, you are telling me that the referee who let the Uruguayans endlessly kick and foul the Spaniards in their match, without showing a single card until the 80th minute is officiating a semi-final? Yeah, you are cooked England…”
Another commented: “Should have been a referee who knows the players from both teams. Not a referee who goes in with no clue.”
A third fan added: “What a stupid and reckless decision. A ref that’s used to low standard (USA professional football) is reffing a semi-final? Ridiculous. The best refs in the world are European as they ref in the best leagues. FIFA really is run by morons.”
While a fourth said: “So we’re at the mercy of Mr. President. England fans having a go at him earlier in the tournament. Italy and Argentina are basically brothers. God help us!”
A fifth added: “This is the referee who officiated the Spain-Uruguay match and tolerated so many fouls. Here in Spain, we joked that his criteria is ‘if you’re still alive, then it’s not a foul’. Let’s see if he applies those same criteria to England vs Argentina.”
Although fans may not be convinced about Elfath’s status as a top referee, FIFA clearly are. World football’s governing body have assigned the American to control what could be one of the spiciest fixtures of this summer’s World Cup.
Ever since its inception in 1930, the World Cup has always been the most prestigious and sought-after title in international football. What began as a small gathering of football’s leading nations has evolved into the world’s biggest sporting event, uniting fans across the globe as they celebrate ‘the beautiful game’.
From 13 teams at the inaugural tournament in Uruguay, to the record-breaking 48 nations who participated at the 2026 World Cup, the competition has undergone significant transitions as it tries to keep up with the ever-growing popularity of the sport. But, in the 2026 tournament, during which 104 matches will be played, concerns over the commercialization of football took centre stage, with some speculating that the expanded format is simply a vehicle to drive further revenue, with greater opportunities for advertising and sponsorship.
But how did the competition grow to the size it is today, and could we see even more teams fighting on the world’s biggest stage at the 2030 tournament?
The 2026 World Cup saw the most teams ever competing at the same tournament, with 48 nations traveling to North America in their quest to claim the coveted World Cup trophy. But what about the 2030 edition?
It is almost certain that the next tournament will feature at least 48 teams, with the increased reach and global interest driving FIFA’s viewership figures at the 2026 tournament. But some have speculated that the centenary year could bring the biggest World Cup we have ever seen, with a proposed 64-team format.
According to the New York Times, the 64-team idea was first raised by the Uruguayan Football Association’s president, Ignacio Alonso, during a FIFA Council meeting in March 2025.
CONMEBOL president, Alejandro Dominguez, also backed the suggestion, stating that the expanded format would ensure “nobody on the planet is left out of the party”.
But what would a 64-team tournament look like?
If FIFA were to approve the move, it would see a staggering 128 matches played across the tournament, doubling the number of fixtures held at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Such a tournament would almost certainly see 16 four-nation groups battling it out over the opening stages, before progressing to the knockout stages. A 64-team World Cup would, however, make it harder for nations to make it out of the group stage, with the third-placed qualification rules likely to be scrapped, should the number of participating teams be increased.
|
Year |
Number of teams |
|---|---|
|
1930 |
13 |
|
1934 |
16 |
|
1938 |
15 |
|
1950 |
13 |
|
1954-1978 |
16 |
|
1982-1994 |
24 |
|
1998-2022 |
32 |
|
2026 |
48 |
The first World Cup tournament in 1930 saw an awkward 13 teams travel to Uruguay for the inaugural competition, with the nations split into three groups of three, plus a group of four, and only the first-placed teams progressing into the knockout stage.
The 1934 edition of the tournament in Italy as FIFA ditched the group stage entirely, instead opting for a straight knockout tournament between the 16 participating sides. This format was retained for the 1938 tournament, which was scheduled to have 16 teams competing, before Austria’s withdrawal saw Sweden given a bye in the first round.
After a 12-year hiatus due to World War II, the 1950 competition saw France, Scotland, India and Turkey all withdraw before the tournament, leaving just 13 teams to compete.
Switzerland 1954 brought the first of seven consecutive tournaments to be contested by 16 teams, before the 24-team format, introduced in 1982, made way for the 32-nation setup following USA ’94.
Sunderland are set to sign a Belgian international on a two-year contract, according to David Ornstein.
According to a report from The Athletic’s Ornstein, Sunderland are set to sign Belgian international Thomas Meunier on a free transfer this summer.
The 34-year-old is set to sign a two-year contract at Sunderland and has already landed in Newcastle this morning to complete a medical.
Analyst Wade Plemons has claimed that Conor McGregor did NOT see a knee specialist just days before his UFC 329 TKO defeat to Max Holloway.
McGregor injured his knee while performing a high kick seconds into his main event return to the sport and could not continue, but many people believe he wasn’t 100% fit going into the fight in the first place.
Eagle-eyed fans noticed his knee not looking secure as he approached the Octagon, as he staggered while removing his shoes and opted against putting any weight on it as well.
Following the knee injury, fans began to speculate whether McGregor was injured heading into his bout, and damning footage was posted online which sparked massive speculation.
He was filmed by the Hollywood Fix walking into Newport Pain Management Clinic four days prior to UFC 329, and it was later reported that a knee specialist works there, leading to mass speculation that the Irishman was already injured and already had a damaged knee heading into the fight.
However, Plemons took to X denying that McGregor was there for a knee injury, tweeting: “I went to this exact location today. The knee specialist, Dr. Kramer’s office, confirmed that he DID NOT see Conor and that he IS NOT a patient of theirs. I checked the other 3 offices there that anyone could go to for ‘knee issues’. None of them had him as a patient.”
Following the visit, Plemons hit back at critics who claimed he was lying because doctors would need to follow HIPA guidelines: “tHaT’s A hIPAa ViOlAtIoN. YoU’rE lYiNg” No, it isn’t and no I’m not lol.”
McGregor’s return to the sport was short-lived, and he took to X himself to express his frustrations after his body gave out and claims that he was not carrying an injury going into the fight.
“I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell.”
Before McGregor’s hiatus five years ago, he was arguably the biggest name the sport had ever seen. In 2016, the Irishman became the first fighter to hold two titles simultaneously at different weights and brought the UFC to a mainstream audience.
After his leg break in 2021, McGregor was embroiled in multiple legal issues while also dipping his toe into politics with an abandoned bid for the Irish presidency.
McGregor’s last win came six years ago after a 40-second victory over Donald Cerrone.
While “The Notorious” has insisted that he will return to the UFC once his leg heals, there will be fans questioning whether he can return to the spotlight that he left in 2021.
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