The experienced Premier League referees are stateside for this summer's World Cup but will not be in contention to oversee any matches involving Lionel Scaloni's sideRaff Tindale13:46, 10 Jul 2026Updated 13:46, 10 Jul 2026FIFA have confirmed that English referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor cannot officiate any Argentina match at this year’s World Cup, due to the Falklands War 44 years ago.‌There are, of course, a number of considerations taken into account when a referee is appointed to a match, the most significant factor being the collective performance of the referee alongside their two assistant referees.‌This primary element is an ongoing monitoring process overseen by the FIFA Referees Committee, chaired by former World Cup final official Pierluigi Collina.‌Indeed, a referee clearly cannot officiate their home country, and they also cannot be assigned to a game which has a direct consequence for their home country in the tournament.For example, neither Oliver nor Taylor would have been permitted to officiate any group stage game in England’s Group L, even if the game had not involved the Three Lions – for instance, Ghana vs. Panama.Furthermore, an English referee would also be barred from officiating Argentina vs. Switzerland this weekend, as their decisions could directly influence England’s potential semi-final opponents should Thomas Tuchel’s side progress.‌Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox - Sign up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!However, this rule does not extend past the following round of fixtures, hence why an all-Argentine official line-up was allowed to oversee France’s 2-0 quarter-final win over Morocco, despite the fact that Argentina could be a potential opponent in the final.‌There are, however, other geopolitical factors that are at play when officials are appointed to matches. FIFA are, of course, acutely aware of politically sensitive situations and opt to use common sense when choosing a referee.A source described the process as “quite fluid”, with no hard and fast rule applied to the proceedings.Despite this, a FIFA spokesperson confirmed that the 1982 Falklands War is a factor when appointing a referee. As such, an English official would not be permitted to take charge of an Argentina game nor a game which has a direct next-game consequence for Argentina, and vice-versa.‌Mirror Football reported in 2022 that Taylor and Oliver were denied the chance to referee the 2022 World Cup final due to Argentina’s involvement, with a high chance that this scenario could be repeated due to England and Argentina being on the same half of the draw in this summer’s edition of the tournament.The Falklands War is still considered to be a politically sensitive topic, though conflicts as far back as the Second World War, however, are not a factor. The war was also referenced by Argentina players when they sang a song called 'Muchachos' in the dressing room after thier quarter-final win over Egypt.Article continues belowDespite FIFA's strict rules on political expression within stadiums, Argentina are not expected to face any action for singing the song.As the 2026 World Cup enters its latter stages, scrutiny over referee appointments is only likely to intensify, but FIFA has left no doubt that Taylor and Oliver will not be considered for any Argentina fixture.