World Cup 2026: an American breath to officiate the semi-final England – Argentina

The American referee, already officiating three times since the tournament began, will be back in the spotlight for this prestigious match. His last appearance was in the round of 16, where Norway won against Brazil. That match sparked many discussions due to two important decisions regarding penalties in favor of the Seleção. Initially, Ismail Elfath did not penalize a foul by Kristoffer Ajer on Matheus Cunha, before being called back by the video assistant. However, Bruno Guimarães missed the subsequent penalty.

In stoppage time, the American official then awarded a second penalty to Brazil after a foul deemed more serious by Leo Østigård on Casemiro. Neymar converted this opportunity to score a goal, reducing the deficit. Before this match, Ismail Elfath had officiated the thrilling draw between the Netherlands and Japan (2-2) during the group stage, as well as Spain’s victory over Uruguay (1-0). In that latter match, he sent off Uruguayan Agustín Canobbio for a serious foul, in a particularly intense game.