Moroccan-born referee Elfath faces Spanish criticism before Argentina-England clash

Moroccan-born American referee Ismail Elfath has come under criticism in Spain after FIFA appointed him to officiate the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final between Argentina and England.

The appointment, announced a day before the last-four encounter, has reignited debate over some of Elfath’s decisions earlier in the tournament, with Spanish journalist Miguel Serrano questioning FIFA’s decision to hand him one of the competition’s biggest fixtures.

Spanish journalist questions FIFA’s decision

Writing on social media platform X, Serrano criticised the American official, arguing that his performances during the World Cup had not warranted such a high-profile appointment.

He wrote: “This is the referee who allowed Uruguay’s players to play violently against Spain in one of the worst refereeing performances in the World Cup, and VAR had to call him in after he swallowed a clear penalty for Brazil, and this is his reward! What FIFA is doing is unbelievable.”

Serrano’s criticism centred on Spain’s match against Uruguay, where he claimed Elfath failed to deal firmly enough with robust challenges from the South American side.

Previous decisions return to spotlight

The Spanish journalist also referenced Brazil’s Round of 16 meeting with Norway, when Elfath initially waved away appeals for a penalty before being instructed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to review the incident.

After consulting the pitchside monitor, the referee overturned his original decision and awarded Brazil the spot-kick.

The incidents have resurfaced following FIFA’s decision to appoint him for one of the tournament’s most eagerly anticipated matches.

Moroccan-born referee among FIFA’s trusted officials

Elfath, one of the United States’ most experienced referees, was born in Casablanca, Morocco, in 1982 before emigrating with his family to the United States at the age of 18, where he later became an American citizen.

He has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2016 and has officiated at several major international tournaments, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Elfath also served as the fourth official for the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France and has continued to receive high-profile appointments at the 2026 tournament despite debate surrounding some of his decisions during the competition.