Idman.biz
FIFA has banned English referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor from officiating in Argentina's matches at the 2026 World Cup due to the consequences of the Falklands War.
Sports.Biz reports this citing "The Independent".
Note that the main criterion for selecting referees, in addition to performance, is the geopolitical situation. For example, a referee is not assigned to a match that could directly affect the interests of their national team. However, according to the source, this principle only applies to the direct stages of the tournament. That's why the entire Argentine referee team was able to officiate the France-Morocco quarterfinal match, despite the fact that the South Americans could potentially only face France in the final.
A FIFA representative confirmed that the Falklands War was indeed taken into account when selecting the referee team. Therefore, English referees will not be able to officiate either in "Albiceleste" matches or in matches whose outcome directly affects the progress of the national team in the tournament. A similar rule applies to Argentine referees.
