Ismail Elfath, a Moroccan-born American referee, will officiate the England vs Argentina World Cup semi-final in Atlanta tonight. The match rekindles a rivalry not seen in a competitive fixture since the 2002 World Cup.
Elfath's background and rise to refereeing
Born in Casablanca, Elfath moved to the United States at age 18 after winning a government 'diversity lottery ticket'. He studied mechanical engineering in Texas while playing for USL League Two side Austin Lightning.
Elfath became a professional referee in 2011, motivated by dissatisfaction with officiating standards. He has since won MLS Referee of the Year in 2020 and 2022, establishing himself as one of North America's top officials.
World Cup experience
The 44-year-old officiated three games at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, famously sending off Cameroon's Vincent Aboubakar for removing his shirt after scoring a dramatic winner against Brazil. He was also the fourth official for the final, which Argentina won on penalties against France.
At this summer's World Cup, Elfath has taken charge of three matches: Netherlands vs Japan, Uruguay vs Spain, and Norway's Round of 16 win over Brazil. He awarded a red card to Uruguay's Agustin Canobbio in stoppage time against Spain and missed an obvious penalty for Brazil against Norway, though VAR corrected the error.
Possible good omen for Messi
Elfath may be a lucky charm for Lionel Messi. Inter Miami, Messi's club, have won all five matches that Elfath has refereed. Additionally, Argentina's World Cup final victory came with Elfath as fourth official.
Overall, Elfath has issued eight yellow cards (average 2.7 per match) and one red card across his three games at this tournament.
