FIFA has appointed American referee Ismail Elfath to officiate the highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina.
The governing body announced this in a post on its official X handle on Tuesday that Elfath will take charge of Match 102, scheduled for July 15 at Atlanta Stadium, with kick-off set for 3:00 p.m. EDT.
FIFA stated that Elfath will be assisted by fellow Americans Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins, while Italian referee Maurizio Mariani has been named fourth official.
The governing body added that another Italian, Daniele Bindoni, will serve as the reserve assistant referee.
The appointment places the experienced Elfath in charge of one of the tournament’s biggest fixtures as Lionel Messi-led Argentina seeks to defend the World Cup title they won in Qatar in 2022.
