Who is Ismail Elfath? The referee appointed for the Argentina and England semi-final

FIFA has selected American referee Ismail Elfath to officiate the highly anticipated semi-final match between Argentina and England, scheduled for Wednesday, July 15, in Atlanta. The 44-year-old official, who was born in Morocco and is now a naturalized U.S. citizen, will be taking charge of his fourth game in the current tournament.

Elfath's previous assignments in this tournament have included two group stage matches and one Round of 16 game. His officiating has drawn attention, notably in the clash between Spain and Uruguay, where his decisions allowing physical play from the Uruguayan side came under scrutiny, although he did issue a red card to Agustín Canobbio. He also had to confirm a penalty decision via VAR in the Norway vs. Brazil match after initially missing it on the field.

Beyond his on-field duties, Elfath has also served as a fourth official in significant matches, including the Qatar 2022 final and the 2023 Leagues Cup final, where Lionel Messi secured his first title with Inter Miami. The officiating team for the semi-final will include fellow Americans Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins as assistant referees, with Italy's Maurizio Mariani serving as the fourth official.

The semi-final match is set to kick off in Atlanta at 3:00 PM local time (7:00 PM GMT). The game is expected to be a tense encounter, with both teams vying for a spot in the final.