Banning of English referees from officiating Argentina's World Cup matches raises questions

FIFA has decided not to assign matches involving the Argentina national team in the 2026 World Cup to English referees, in order to prevent the management of matches that include England or Argentina if they face each other. This decision is due to a political background related to the Falklands War in 1982. These measures are part of efforts to ensure integrity and neutrality, even though English referee Michael Oliver will officiate the quarter-final match against Spain and Belgium, while his chances of officiating the final are limited.