American-Moroccan referee Elfath will take charge of England vs Argentina, his fourth game at the 2026 World Cup.
Moroccan-American football referee Ismail Elfath will officiate the seismic FIFA World Cup semifinal showdown between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday.
It marks the fourth match the 44-year-old has been in charge of at this tournament, after the 2-2 draw between Japan and the Netherlands and Spain’s 1-0 win against Uruguay in the group stage, as well as Norway’s stunning 2-1 victory in the round-of-16 meeting with Brazil.
Here’s everything to know about Elfath’s personal background and refereeing career:
Born in the Moroccan city of Casablanca, Elfath migrated to the United States in 2001 as a 17-year-old after securing a visa under the US Diversity Visa Program – what was commonly called the “diversity lottery”.
Graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas, Elfath later became a naturalised US citizen.
He resides in Austin, Texas.
Elfath’s foray into refereeing was rather accidental, as he started out as a player, featuring as a striker for amateur team Austin Lightning in USL League Two.
Poor refereeing decisions during his playing time prompted him to pick up the whistle himself.
“I was a hot-headed player,” Elfath said in an interview with the Austin Chronicle newspaper in 2022.
“I always complained to the guy that ran the league, and then one day he was like, ‘Man, you always complain, you should just become a referee.’”
After attending a refereeing clinic, Elfath picked up officiating shifts in youth games, high schools and semi-pro leagues. All along, he worked a full-time job in IT sales.
Finally, Elfath made the jump to the US’s top-flight Major League Soccer (MLS) as a fourth official in 2011 before becoming a referee the following year.
The same year, the American was also part of a piece of history: Elfath was the referee during a USL match between New York Red Bulls II and Orlando City B, where the first worldwide on-field Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review took place.
Over the last 14 years working in MLS, Elfath was twice named the league’s Referee of the Year (2020, 2022).
After officiating matches in several high-profile tournaments, including the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020 and the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021, Elfath made his senior World Cup debut at Qatar 2022.
“I am the triple minority. Immigrant, of African descent, Muslim. I am the sole representative for the US, so it’s a very humbling responsibility, but also one of those positions where you say, ‘Anything is possible,'” he said at that time, reflecting on the opportunity to step up on the world stage.
One of North America’s top officials, Elfath officiated two group games and a knockout match at the 2022 World Cup and was a fourth official for the epic final in which Argentina defeated France on penalties.
During the last World Cup, Elfath caught attention for his feel-good gesture: moments after awarding a second yellow card and marching orders to Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubakar for removing his shirt to celebrate a stoppage-time winner against Brazil, Elfath flashed a smile and shook the striker’s hand.
This definitely has to be one of the most iconic World Cup moments ever
Vincent Aboubakar scored a late stoppage-time winner for Cameroon🇨🇲against Brazil🇧🇷in a crucial group G encounter
He took off his shirt,received his second booking,shook referee,🇺🇸Ismail Elfath,and went off pic.twitter.com/AomYeM1tnK
— Andrews Sefa ⚽️ (@Sefaa_b) December 30, 2023
The 2026 edition marks Elfath’s second World Cup appearance, and he is one of a record eight US football referees at the tournament.
Across the three games he has officiated, Elfath issued seven yellow cards and one red – to Uruguay’s Agustin Canobbio for a wild lunge on Pau Cubarsi.
For the semifinal between England and Argentina, Elfath will be assisted by fellow Americans Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins, while Italy’s Maurizio Mariani is the fourth official, and his compatriot Daniele Bindoni is the reserve assistant referee.
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