Ismail Elfath has been appointed as the referee for the FIFA World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina, which will take place in Atlanta.
Born in Morocco, Elfath moved to the United States at the age of 18 after winning the diversity visa lottery. He later graduated from the University of Texas in 2006 with a degree in mechanical engineering.
Elfath began his refereeing career in Major League Soccer in 2012 and was added to the FIFA list of international referees in 2016. His first major international assignment came at the Under-20 World Cup in 2019.
He made his senior World Cup debut three years later at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where he officiated three matches, including the round of 16 encounter between Japan and Croatia.
The upcoming semi-final will mark Elfath’s fourth appearance at the 2026 World Cup. The 44-year-old has already overseen several significant fixtures in this tournament, including Uruguay’s group-stage match against Spain, during which he sent off Agustin Cannobio. He also refereed Norway’s round of 16 victory over Brazil.
England and Argentina last faced each other in a friendly match held in Geneva in 2005. Their most recent World Cup meeting was in 1998, when Argentina advanced to the quarter-finals after winning a round of 16 clash on penalties.
The assistant referees for the semi-final will be Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins, both from the United States.
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