THE semi-finals of the World Cup have arrived and we have been treated to two thrilling ties.
take on European champions in a mouth-watering clash, while play reigning global kings .
Ismail Elfath has refereed three games at the 2026 World Cup so far Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Elfath will take charge of England’s semi-final against Argentina Credit: Getty
Here we take a look at the referee for the Three Lions’ huge semi-final, with the highly experienced Ismail Elfath taking the whistle.
Who is Ismail Elfath?
Ismail Elfath was born in Morocco in 1982 before moving to the United States at the age of eighteen.
He started out his career in football as a striker for USL League Two side Austin Lightning, but decided to become an official after complaining about refereeing standards.
While learning the ropes and progressing through the ranks, he took up a job in IT.
Elfath started his full-time officiating career as a fourth official in 2011 and made his MLS refereeing debut the following year.
Four years on, the 44-year-old became a registered Fifa official.
Later that year, Elfath refereed the first-ever match involving VAR, a system now commonly used in the
In 2019, the American got his international call-up, officiating at the 2019 Under-20 World Cup final between Ukraine and South Korea.
This led to his involvement with the 2019 Club World Cup, where he took charge of
He has since won the MLS Referee of the Year two times and been selected to referee at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
In 2022, Elfath officiated at his first senior World Cup, taking charge of three fixtures in Qatar.
He was also the fourth official for the thrilling final between France and Argentina.
and Co ran out winners on penalties after a breathless 3-3 draw.
This year, Elfath officiated the Concacaf Champions Cup final between Liga MX clubs Toluca and Tigres before making his second World Cup appearance.
So far, he has whistled three matches, with the semi-final between England and Argentina his next game.
Fellow Americans Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins will be assistant referees for the blockbuster clash, while Italian Maurizio Mariani is on fourth official duties.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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