Ismail Elfath to Referee England vs Argentina Semi-Final

FIFA has appointed Ismail Elfath as the referee for the semi-final match between England and Argentina in the 2026 World Cup. Elfath, an American official, has already refereed three games in the tournament.

His recent officiating included a match where Norway defeated Brazil in the Round of 16, which featured contentious penalty calls. In that match, Brazil was not awarded a penalty for a foul on Kristoffer Ajer by Matheus Cunha, but a penalty was later given for a foul by Leo Ostigard on Casemiro, which Neymar converted for a late consolation goal.

Elfath also officiated a match between the Netherlands and Japan, as well as a game where he sent off Uruguay's Augustin Canobbio for a serious foul during a high-tempo match against Spain, which ended in a 1-0 victory for Spain.