Moroccan origin at the top of the "Golden Square".

The International Football Federation (FIFA) has assigned the task of officiating the Argentina vs. England match for the second semifinal of the 2026 World Cup to the American referee of Moroccan descent, Ismail Fattah, in a new recognition of the status he has achieved among the elite referees in the world.

Fattah, who is 44 years old, will be assisted by his fellow countrymen Corey Parker and Kyle Atkinson as assistants, while the Italian Maurizio Mariani will serve as the fourth official, and his compatriot Daniele Bendoni will take on the role of reserve assistant referee.

The Argentina vs. England match is the fourth match that Fattah will officiate in the current World Cup, having previously successfully led matches between Japan and the Netherlands, Uruguay and Spain in the group stage, and Brazil and Norway in the knockout rounds.

Fattah has gained a good reputation as one of the best referees in North America, having been assigned to officiate several important matches, including the final of the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup between Toluca and Tigres, and he also served as the fourth official in the 2022 World Cup final between France and Argentina.

Ismail Fattah was born in Casablanca in 1982 before moving to the United States in 2001, where he continued his university studies and graduated in 2006 with a master's degree in mechanical engineering.

He began his refereeing career in 2011 before obtaining the international badge from FIFA in 2016, and he was awarded the title of Best Referee in the American League in 2020 and 2022.

Fattah has an impressive record in the history of refereeing, having previously officiated three matches in the 2022 World Cup, and he made history in 2016 when he led the first official match to implement the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in the American league, continuing today to solidify his presence among the top international referees.

The highly anticipated match between Argentina and England will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, at the Atlanta Stadium in the state of Georgia, USA, which has a capacity of approximately 71,000 spectators and features the largest retractable circular roof in the world.

The England national team qualified for the semifinals after defeating Norway 2-1, while the Argentina national team secured its place in the final four after overcoming its Swiss counterpart with a score of 3-1 in the quarterfinals.

The English team is looking to reach the World Cup final for the first time since the 1966 edition, while the defending champion Argentina team aims to continue its journey to retain the title and qualify for the final for the second consecutive time and the seventh in its history.