The American referee of Moroccan origin, Ismail Al-Fath, stole the spotlight after the end of the match he managed between the England and Argentina national teams in the 2026 World Cup, after he performed an unusual act.
The Argentina national team qualified for the final of the 2026 World Cup in America, Canada, and Mexico, following a 2-1 victory over England, on Wednesday, at Atlanta Stadium, in the semi-final.
After blowing the whistle to end the match, the American referee appeared prostrating on the ground, before shaking hands with his assistants and the players of both teams, in an unusual scene from football match referees.
๐๐ฒ๐ฆ An emotional moment... The Moroccan referee Ismail Al-Fath prostrates in thanks to God Almighty after the end of the match, in a scene that reflects humility and gratitude after managing a match of this magnitude.#World_Cup_2026 pic.twitter.com/r5oF9K3aKA@chamar_ibrahim
Al-Fath was the focus of discussion in the English press before the match, where he was accused of being Lionel Messi's favorite referee, amid accusations that the Argentina national team received some refereeing assistance.
Al-Fath faced greater criticism after the end of the first half, due to not showing yellow cards, in light of some violent interventions made by the Argentina national team players in particular.
It is worth noting that this match was the fourth that Ismail Al-Fath refereed in the current edition of the World Cup, after the matches of the Netherlands against Japan, and Spain with Uruguay in the group stage, and the match between Brazil and Norway in the round of 16.
