FIFA has appointed American referee Ismail Elfath to officiate Wednesday’s 2026 World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina.
Elfath will take charge of his fourth match at the tournament, having previously handled three games.
His most recent assignment was Norway’s Round of 16 victory over Brazil, a match that generated debate over two penalty decisions involving the South Americans.
The American referee initially waved play on after Norway defender Kristoffer Ajer appeared to trip Brazil’s Matheus Cunha in the penalty area. However, the decision was overturned after a VAR review, leading to a penalty that Bruno Guimaraes failed to convert.
Elfath later awarded Brazil another penalty in stoppage time after ruling that Norway’s Leo Ostigard handled the ball with his elbow while challenging Casemiro. Neymar converted the spot-kick, although it only served as a consolation in Brazil’s defeat.
The referee also officiated the Netherlands’ 2-2 draw with Japan during the group stage and Spain’s 1-0 victory over Uruguay.
In the Spain-Uruguay clash, Elfath sent off Uruguay midfielder Agustin Canobbio for serious foul play in a fiercely contested encounter.
England and defending champions Argentina will battle for a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final when they meet on Wednesday.
