Here’s why FIFA made an unusual choice for France’s World Cup quarter-final, after fans started asking questions.
The World Cup quarter-final between France and Morocco will make history — all five match officials for the game come from the same country for the first time ever!
France got past Paraguay with a 1-0 win in a tough last-16 match, where Paraguay players often targeted France’s star striker and captain Kylian Mbappe. Meanwhile, Morocco beat the Netherlands on penalties after a 1-1 draw in extra time.
This quarter-final is a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final in Qatar, where France won 2-0 before losing an unforgettable final to Argentina on penalties.
The referee for this match is Facundo Tello, leading a team of officials all from Argentina. Alongside him are assistants Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade, as well as fourth official Dario Herrera and reserve official Cristian Navarro—all Argentine.
Some fans have questioned FIFA’s decision on social media, but having a referee and assistants from the same country is actually common at the World Cup. For example, England’s exciting 3-2 win over Mexico was overseen by three Australian referees, and Morocco’s officials helped with the VAR in matches. France’s game against Egypt also had multiple French officials involved.
FIFA announced the referees for France vs. Morocco before the Argentina-Egypt match, and the VAR team for this quarter-final hasn’t been announced yet.
After Egypt lost to Argentina, forward Mostafa Ziko criticized French referee Francois Letexier, saying he was unfair and biased. FIFA waits to name the referee for the final until the last two teams are decided — and the referee can’t be from one of the finalist countries.
In 2022, Poland’s Szymon Marciniak refereed the final between Argentina and France. He could be picked again for the 2026 final. Dutch referee Danny Makkelie is another option, even though the Netherlands were knocked out early.
South America’s football body, CONMEBOL, brought 12 referees to the World Cup, including Brazil’s Raphael Claus. If Claus gets the final, he might have an awkward moment with former US President Donald Trump, who is expected to attend and present the trophy.
Trump had called Claus “very suspect” after Claus gave a red card to US player Folarin Balogun in a match against Bosnia and Herzegovina following a VAR review. That red card caused a lot of debate, and Trump even called FIFA’s president to ask for a review. FIFA then suspended the red card for a year, letting Balogun play in the next game, a decision some criticized. The US later lost 4-1 to Belgium.
When asked about his administration’s involvement, Trump said, “If you check his past… I don’t want to say too much because I don’t like creating controversy, but very suspect.”
FIFA’s head of referees, Pierluigi Collina, defended Claus, saying, “Raphael Claus is one of the world’s top referees and a respected member of our team. He has always shown professionalism and integrity. This is his second World Cup, having also been with us in Qatar, and we have complete confidence in him as an official.”