England and Argentina are set to meet in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final on Wednesday, but whichever team reaches the final, one thing is already certain — referees from the other country will not be
appointed to officiate the summit clash. Throughout this tournament, no English referee was involved in Argentina’s group-stage or knockout matches, and no Argentinian officiated a game for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
The restriction stems from the long-running dispute over the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic that Argentina claims as the Islas Malvinas. Tensions escalated into the 1982 Falklands War after Argentina invaded the islands on April 2, 1982.
The conflict lasted 74 days before British forces regained control. Around 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 British military personnel, and three Falkland Islanders were killed. Despite the war ending in June 1982, Argentina continues to claim sovereignty over the islands, making it a sensitive diplomatic issue even today.
Because of those political sensitivities, FIFA has, in recent World Cups, avoided appointing English referees to Argentina matches and Argentine referees to England fixtures. The policy also extends to group-stage games.
That is why English referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor were not considered for Argentina’s quarter-final against Switzerland, which the Lionel Messi-led side won 3-1. Likewise, Argentine referee Facundo Tello has only been assigned matches in the opposite half of the bracket and cannot officiate England fixtures.
Referee appointments at the World Cup are made by FIFA’s refereeing department, headed by Pierluigi Collina, with performances throughout the tournament remaining the primary criterion. However, geopolitical considerations are also factored in to avoid any perception of bias.
Similar restrictions exist for other politically sensitive rivalries, while referees are also barred from taking charge of matches involving their own countries or clubs with which they have close regional ties. In Wednesday’s semi-final, no referee from either England or Argentina would be involved either, leaving only the second semi-final between Spain and France for them to officiate.
