Szymon Marciniak, the man who refereed arguably the greatest World Cup final ever played, has been tapped to officiate Argentina’s opening 2026 World Cup match against Algeria on June 16 at Kansas City Stadium.
A familiar face for high-pressure moments
Marciniak’s resume reads like a greatest hits album of modern football’s biggest moments. He officiated the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Qatar, where Argentina edged France in what many consider the most dramatic final in tournament history.
He followed that up by taking charge of the 2023 UEFA Champions League final. Two of the sport’s most prestigious fixtures in consecutive years is not a coincidence. It is a statement from football’s governing bodies about where Marciniak ranks among his peers.
His assistants for the Argentina-Algeria match will be Tomasz Listkiewicz and Adam Kupsik, forming an all-Polish officiating crew.
