FIFA has named American referee Ismail Elfath to officiate one of the most anticipated matches of the 2026 World Cup: England vs. Argentina, scheduled for July 15 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. It’s a career-defining assignment for the Moroccan-born official, who has been a FIFA referee since 2016 and already has a 2022 World Cup final on his resume.
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He’ll be joined by American assistant referees Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins, with Italian officials Maurizio Mariani and Daniele Bindoni rounding out the crew as fourth officials.
Elfath has already handled several high-profile fixtures during this tournament, including Japan vs. Netherlands and Uruguay vs. Spain. His track record includes an unbeaten record in matches involving Argentina captain Lionel Messi, a stat that will either comfort or terrify Argentine fans depending on how superstitious they’re feeling.
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