English referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor have taken charge of their final matches at this year’s men’s World Cup and will not be put forward to officiate games involving either England or Argentina, according to ESPN. With both nations advancing to the semifinals, FIFA will not nominate them for Wednesday’s fixture or for the June 19 final, ESPN reports.
FIFA protocol forbids match officials from taking charge of fixtures that involve their own country, a measure intended to prevent any appearance of bias, according to ESPN. That rule therefore excludes Taylor and Oliver from refereeing England’s semifinal. Oliver has also set a new mark for English referees at the tournament, surpassing Howard Webb’s record for most World Cup games officiated by an English official, ESPN notes.
Beyond the nationality rule, ESPN reports that political sensitivities are taken into account on a case-by-case basis. Longstanding tensions between England and Argentina, linked to the 1982 Falklands War, mean English referees are not being considered for matches involving Argentina. Footage of Argentina’s players singing “Muchachos” after their round-of-16 win over Egypt — a song that references the British overseas territory — was cited by sources to illustrate the sensitivities involved. The Falklands conflict occurred from April 2 to June 14, 1982, and claimed 907 lives, according to ESPN.
That caution is not new. ESPN reports the same approach applied at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when Taylor was ruled out of the final between Argentina and France. Sources told ESPN Taylor had been under strong consideration for the 2022 final had France met Croatia instead.
England’s semifinal place also affects appointment options at the other end of the bracket: Argentine referee Facundo Tello would be ineligible to officiate the final should England progress, ESPN says. Neither Taylor, Oliver nor Tello will be appointed for the third-place playoff, and the referee for the Spain-France game has been confirmed as Ivan Barton, according to ESPN. Information from ESPN’s Jamie Barton was used in this report.
