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Why is FIFA banning English referees from refereeing Argentina at the World Cup?

2026-07-11 19:07:02Sport SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Why is FIFA banning English referees from refereeing Argentina at the World Cup?
41-year-old Michael Oliver and 47-year-old Anthony Taylor are among the best referees for the 2026 World Cup, but they have a "flaw" that could prevent them from officiating the final.

41-year-old Michael Oliver and 47-year-old Anthony Taylor are among the best referees for the 2026 World Cup, but they have a "flaw" that could prevent them from refereeing the final, the biggest career goal for a referee, if Argentina is in it: the fact that they are English, which of course means that they cannot referee the matches of the "Three Lions" national team either.

No English referee for Argentina

Yes, because the two referees – in whom Pierluigi Collina, president of the FIFA Referees Committee, has the utmost confidence – have an unspoken, but consolidated in practice, veto to never referee an Argentina match, especially on such an important stage as the World Cup.

The reason for the ban – explains “The Athletic” – is historical and political: almost half a century later, the legacy of the 1982 Falklands War between the United Kingdom and Argentina still weighs heavily. The conflict lasted 74 days and ended with the surrender of Argentina, which returned the islands to British control. 649 Argentines, 255 British and three residents of the islands, which Argentines always call Malvinas and never Falklands, lost their lives.

The Falkland Islands/Malvinas issue remains very sensitive in Argentina today.

How little this issue has been buried in history books and how relevant it still remains today is shown by the words of Argentine President Javier Miel, who last April forcefully reiterated Argentina's "non-negotiable" sovereignty over the islands: "The Malvinas have been, are and will always be Argentine."

Oliver was not yet born when the war broke out, Taylor was three years old, yet Infantino and his associates do not want to be affected even minimally by political issues (yes, they are the same ones who have accepted those from Trump without objection...).

Therefore, the two excellent English referees will only be considered for the final if one of Norway (who will face England in the quarter-final on Saturday evening) or Switzerland (who will face Argentina later that night Italian time) qualifies for the final act of the tournament at the bottom of the table, against the winner of France-Spain, the semi-final already determined on the other side. Another England-Argentina semi-final would end the dream of Oliver and Taylor, who have so far officiated four and three matches in this Cup respectively.

How non-negotiable this principle is is shown by what happened at the World Cup four years ago in Qatar, when Taylor was a strong candidate for the final, but could not be part of it because Argentina qualified by defeating Croatia in the semi-finals, only to be defeated by France.


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

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