The appointment of American referee Ismail Al-Fatih to officiate the England vs Argentina match in the 2026 World Cup has sparked widespread concerns due to the referee's controversial officiating record.
The United States national team faces its Argentine counterpart in the World Cup semi-final tomorrow, Wednesday, July 15, at exactly 10:00 PM Cairo time.
Ismail Al-Fatih will be assisted in officiating the match by Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins as assistant referees, while Italian referee Maurizio Mariani will serve as the fourth official.
England vs Argentina match referee sparks widespread controversy
According to what was reported by "The Sun" newspaper, FIFA should have chosen a more experienced referee to officiate the clash between England and Argentina, given his controversial officiating record and the high number of cards he issues.
The 44-year-old American referee of Moroccan origin officiated three matches in the 2026 World Cup without any notable controversy, yet he still lacks sufficient experience to handle such major matches.
The report added: "Given the value of the match, the grand prize at stake, and the long competitive history between the England national team and its Argentine counterpart, it would have been better to assign the task to a high-level European referee."
It continued: "Most players from England and Argentina are active in the major European leagues, so it would have been preferable to have a whistle that matches their caliber and regularly officiates the World Cup knockout stages."
It added: "Al-Fatih officiates many matches in Major League Soccer, and the only prominent players he would be familiar with are Inter Miami duo Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul, which threatens his ability to maintain control during that match."
At the club level, the biggest match Ismail Al-Fatih has officiated was this year's CONCACAF Champions Cup final between Mexican sides Toluca and Tigres.
On the World Cup level, this is the American referee's seventh match in his World Cup career; he appeared in the Qatar 2022 edition during the matches Portugal vs Ghana, Cameroon vs Brazil, and Japan vs Croatia.
During the current World Cup finals, Al-Fatih officiated the matches Japan vs Netherlands, Uruguay vs Spain, and Brazil vs Norway, yet despite this record, he has never experienced the kind of pressure awaiting him in this clash.
The report pointed out that the Spain vs Uruguay match saw objections over Al-Fatih's failure to intervene early to curb violent play, before he issued a red card to Canobbio after his challenge on Pau Cubarsí.
The American referee sparked controversy again during the Brazil vs Norway match after initially refusing to award a penalty to Brazil, before reversing his decision following a video assistant referee review.
Ismail Al-Fatih brings good omen for the Argentina national team
The referee brings good fortune to the "Tango dancers" squad; he served as the fourth official in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, which Argentina won against France via penalty shootout.
Moreover, Messi has won all five matches that Al-Fatih officiated as the field referee in Major League Soccer since the "Flea" joined Miami in 2023.
Ismail Al-Fatih has shown clear calmness in issuing colored cards, content with 8 yellow cards and one red card throughout his tournament journey.
The Sun report concluded: "FIFA has placed its full trust in the American whistle, and now the two teams have no choice but to hope that things go smoothly and that he and his assistant team succeed in getting through the match without any errors."
