FIFA has confirmed that American referee Ismail Elfath will officiate England's World Cup semi-final against Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 BST. The match will be broadcast live on BBC One.

Elfath, 44, has already featured in this tournament, taking charge of group-stage matches between Japan and the Netherlands, as well as Uruguay against Spain. He also oversaw Norway's last-16 win over five-time world champions Brazil.

Disciplinary record in the tournament

Across those matches, Elfath has issued six yellow cards. His most significant disciplinary moment came when he showed Uruguay midfielder Agustin Canobbio a straight red card for a dangerous high challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi. Canobbio then compounded matters by confronting Elfath and grabbing his shirt after being dismissed.

A referee with deep World Cup experience

Elfath is no stranger to football's biggest stage. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he was appointed fourth official for the final between France and Argentina. During that tournament's group stage, he was involved in a memorable moment — shaking the hand of Cameroon striker Vincent Aboubakar before sending him off for removing his shirt while celebrating a goal against Brazil.

In club football, Elfath was the referee when Lionel Messi lifted his first trophy with Inter Miami, a penalty shootout victory over Nashville SC in the 2023 Leagues Cup final.

He has officiated in Major League Soccer since 2012 and has won the MLS referee of the year award twice. Originally from Morocco, Elfath moved to the United States at the age of 18 after winning a US government-backed diversity visa lottery.

Fellow Americans Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins will serve as assistant referees, with Italy's Maurizio Mariani appointed as fourth official.

English and Argentine officials ruled out

England's own referees, Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor, are ineligible to take charge of the final under FIFA's conflict-of-interest regulations. Under those rules, officials cannot referee matches involving their own nation. Furthermore, English and Argentine officials are barred from overseeing games involving either country, a restriction rooted in the political tensions between the two nations — partly stemming from the 1982 Falklands conflict.

Argentine referee Facundo Tello is similarly ruled out for the same reasons. All three officials are also ineligible for the third-place play-off, as that match is guaranteed to feature one of the two nations. The same regulations previously prevented Taylor from officiating the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France.