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The Moroccan-American referee was the focus of conversation before the match
Moroccan-American referee Ismail Al-Fath attracted attention after the end of the 2026 World Cup match between England and Argentina after his unusual behavior.
The Argentine team qualified for the 2026 World Cup finals in America, Canada and MexicoAfter a 2-1 win over England in the semi-final at the Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday.
After the final whistle of the game, the American referee appeared on his knees on the ground while shaking hands with his assistants and players from both teams in an unusual gesture by soccer referees.
Al-Fateh was at the center of talk in English newspapers ahead of the match, as they accused him of being a favorite referee of Argentina star Lionel Messi, amid allegations of some refereeing assistance to the Argentina national team.
After the end of the first half, Al-Fateh came under more criticism for not showing yellow cards, especially for some wild tackles by Argentina players.
It is noteworthy that this match was Ismail Al-Fateh’s fourth refereeing match in the current World Cup, after Holland vs. Japan and Spain vs. Uruguay in the group stage and Brazil vs. Norway in the Round of 16.
