Lionel Messi gets ‘favourite referee’ for England vs Argentina after World Cup row | Football | Sport

They have a winning record against England wearing their secondary colours as opposed to their iconic blue and white stripes.

Now, the referee selection for Wednesday’s semi-final has been confirmed and if history is anything to go by, it could be a bad omen for England.

That’s because Ismail Elfath, who will be the man in the middle, has never officiated a game in which Messi has been on the losing team since he joined MLS outfit Inter Miami.

Elfath was also the fourth official when Argentina won the last World Cup final against France back in 2022.

He primarily officiates in the MLS and has dished out 41 yellow cards in 10 games so far this season, which suggests that England’s players will need to be on their best behaviour.

Elfath’s no-nonsense approach has also been reflected at this World Cup, with the 41-year-old issuing eight yellow cards and one red card across three matches.

The referee, who is American but was born in Morocco, will be assisted by compatriots Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins. The fourth official will be Maurizio Mariani, from Italy.

It remains to be seen if any controversial decisions will become talking points when England go head-to-head with Argentina on Wednesday night.