Lionel Messi will have a familiar referee in control when Argentina takes on England in the FIFA World Cup semi-final on Wednesday. FIFA has selected Ismail Elfath to handle the highly anticipated match in Atlanta. The appointment has become a talking point because Messi has never lost a game including Elfath. All five of the games in which the Moroccan-American official has officiated, either as a referee or in another capacity, have been won by the Argentina captain’s team.
Some England supporters questioned FIFA’s decision after the data swiftly generated debate on social media. Nevertheless, there is no proof that Elfath’s appointments have affected the outcomes in any way.
Ismail Elfath In FIFA World Cup 2026
The 44-year-old Elfath will be in charge of his fourth World Cup game in 2026. Prior to overseeing Norway’s unexpected 2-1 victory over Brazil in the Round of 16, he supervised Japan’s 2-2 draw with the Netherlands and Spain’s 1-0 triumph over Uruguay in the group stage. Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins, two fellow Americans, will help him.
Elfath has already participated in one of Messi’s most important games. He served as the fourth official at the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Qatar, where Argentina won the title after defeating France on penalties following a memorable 3–3 draw.
Who is Ismail Elfath?
Elfath, who was born in Casablanca, Morocco, immigrated to the US in 2001 using the Diversity Visa Program. He later graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in mechanical engineering, obtained US citizenship, and currently resides in Austin, Texas. His career as a referee started practically by coincidence. Before becoming dissatisfied with the officiating standards, Elfath was a striker for the amateur team Austin Lightning. The league organizer once challenged him to pick up the whistle personally after he had been grumbling about referees for a long time.
“I was a hot-headed player. I always complained to the guy that ran the league, and then one day he said, You always complain. Why don’t you become a referee?,” Elfath told the Austin Chronicle in 2022.
While working full-time in IT sales, Elfath began officiating youth, high school, and semi-professional games. In 2011, he became a fourth official in Major League Soccer, and the following season, he was promoted to full-time referee.
In addition to earning his FIFA badge in 2016, he made football history by supervising the first on-field Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review during a USL Championship game between Orlando City B and New York Red Bulls II.
Elfath has become one of the top officials in North America throughout the years, taking home MLS Referee of the Year honors in 2020 and 2022. Additionally, he oversaw the 2023 Leagues Cup final, where Messi helped Inter Miami defeat Nashville SC on penalties and win their first championship.
