On Wednesday, France coach Didier Deschamps sought to defuse any controversy over the appointment of an Argentine referee to officiate the France vs. Morocco match in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals, affirming his confidence in the refereeing crew and stressing that the referee is 'not an opponent' for his team.

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) decided to assign the match, scheduled for Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA, to Argentine referee Facundo Tello, assisted by two of his compatriots on the lines.

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This appointment came one day after French referee François Letexier officiated the Argentina vs. Egypt quarter-final, which ended with Argentina winning 3-2, amid ongoing sporting tensions between France and Argentina since the 2022 World Cup final, which 'Les Bleus' lost to Lionel Messi and his teammates. Deschamps said in a press conference: 'I deal with the fact that the appointment of referees is not in my hands, and I cannot change it. I trust the referees, and I hope that Mr. Tello and his assistants will perform the same way Mr. Letexier and his crew did.' He added: 'There will always be decisions that may spark controversy depending on which team you support, but our opponent is Morocco, not the referee. I will not consider him an opponent; he is there to apply the rules of the game in the best possible way.'

Deschamps' statements also come after the sharp criticism that accompanied the performance of Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev during France's round of 16 match against Paraguay, which ended with France winning 1-0.

Regarding the match against Morocco, which France previously beat 2-0 in the 2022 World Cup semi-final, Deschamps praised the potential of the 'Atlas Lions,' saying: 'Morocco is different from Paraguay; it is a strong team with high-level players, and they did not reach this stage by chance.' He added: 'It will be a match between two teams that like to keep possession, play offensively, and score goals. We have to give our best, because the Moroccan team has great quality, and we will need the highest levels of effectiveness, both offensively and defensively.'