England get set to lock horns with Argentina in a seismic World Cup semi-final clash in Atlanta on Wednesday night.
The Three Lions needed extra-time to overcome dark horses Norway in the round of 32, defeating Stale Solbakken's side 2-1 via a Jude Bellingham brace.
Argentina's path to the World Cup semi-finals looked relatively straightforward when they topped the Group J standings, but Lionel Scaloni's reigning champions have made hard work of their knockout stage contests, taken to extra-time against Cape Verde and Switzerland and beating Egypt in stoppage time after going 2-0 down.
As we prepare for what promises to be an edgy affair in The States, we've taken a look at the referee and match officials for England v Argentina.
Who are the match officials for England v Argentina?
- Referee - Ismail Elfath (USA)
- Assistant Referee 1 - Corey Parker (USA)
- Assistant Referee 2 - Kyle Atkins (USA)
- 4th Official - Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
- Reserve Assistant Referee - Daniele Bindoni (Italy)
America's Ismail Elfath -- who has been a FIFA referee since 2016 -- will referee the game between England and Argentina.
2022 served as Elfath's first World Cup, where he was elected as the fourth referee in Argentina's final victory over France. So far at the 2026 World Cup, he has refereed Japan vs Netherlands, Uruguay vs Spain and Brazil vs Norway.
Lionel Messi has never lost a game where Elfath has served as a match official, winning five from five. This includes Inter Miami's 2023 Leagues Cup triumph, where the Argentine scored inside 90 minutes before his side won on penalties.
American duo Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins will serve as the assistant referees for the World Cup semi-final match, while Italy's Maurizio Mariani will be the 4th official.
