Messi's 'lucky charm' referee assigned to officiate semi-final vs. England; favoritism fears spark

Fears of World Cup favouritism towards Argentina have been heightened after FIFA confirmed Lionel Messi’s favourite referee will officiate England’s highly-anticipated semi-final with the reigning champions.

The decision has stoked a firestorm of social media conspiracy theories alleging the tournament is "rigged" to help the South American giants retain their crown.

Rising tensions, conspiracy theories

Messi’s side have been far from their best heading into Wednesday's mouthwatering clash with the Three Lions at Atlanta Stadium.

The reigning world champions scraped past Egypt and Switzerland in highly controversial fashion in the last-16 and quarter-finals respectively.

The tense manner of those victories -in which Egypt had a goal controversially disallowed and the Swiss saw striker Breel Embolo sent off- resulted in a huge public backlash.

Speculation rapidly mounted that FIFA are actively conspiring to help Messi and Argentina win the tournament, an accusation the governing body has strenuously denied.

Compounding the drama, Tuesday's confirmation that American referee Ismail Elfath will take the whistle has added fuel to the fire.

The monumental fixture represents the most high-profile occasion of Elfath's career as a referee as England bid to reach their first World Cup final since 1966 and Argentina chase back-to-back showpieces.

Messi connection

The Moroccan-born American official has a long-running history with Argentina's captain, widely earning him the label of a "lucky charm" for the forward.

Elfath served as the fourth official in Qatar when Argentina defeated France to lift the 2022 World Cup.

Since Messi signed for MLS outfit Inter Miami in July 2023, his run-ins with Elfath have increased significantly.

Just a month after arriving in the United States, Messi helped Inter Miami capture the Leagues Cup final over Nashville SC, a match refereed by Elfath.

Messi scored a stunning opening goal from outside the box before Miami eventually prevailed 10-9 in a dramatic penalty shootout, with the Argentine scoring their first attempt.

In total, Messi has been officiated four times by Elfath since moving to America, winning on all four occasions while netting four goals across the other three MLS games.

Across his entire career, Messi boasts a flawless 100% winning record in matches overseen by the official.

Strict warning for England

England's players have been warned to expect a strict disciplinarian. Elfath's domestic MLS record this season indicates he does not mind getting his notebook out.

In the 10 domestic matches he officiated before the season paused for the World Cup, he dished out 41 yellow cards, issued three red cards, and awarded three penalties.

That uncompromising approach has translated directly to the international stage this summer. Across his three previous World Cup matches, Elfath has issued eight yellow cards and one red card.

His appearances have not been without their own controversy. Following Spain’s 1-0 win over Uruguay, Elfath was heavily targeted by the Spanish media, who accused him of failing to be firm enough in an increasingly spiky affair.

The match ended with dramatic tension deep into second-half stoppage time when Elfath sent off Uruguayan midfielder Agustín Canobbio for a high challenge on Pau Cubarsí.

For Wednesday's semi-final, Elfath will be assisted by fellow American compatriots Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins, while Italy's Maurizio Mariani will fulfill duties as the fourth official.