American referee Ismail Al-Fath, of Moroccan origin, affirmed that his participation in officiating matches at the 2026 World Cup is the highlight of his career, expressing pride in his personal achievements, while also praising the development of the Moroccan and Saudi national teams, and stressing that refereeing will always remain subject to debate no matter how much technology evolves. Al-Fath, who officiated four World Cup matches including the historic encounter between England and Argentina, told 'Arriyadiyah': 'My participation was very honorable, especially since I officiated four matches, and being assigned to a match as big as England and Argentina is a great honor, as it is one of the most historic and valuable matches in the World Cup. I feel proud, and I thank everyone who contributed to this journey.' Regarding the Moroccan national team, he explained that the achievements of the 'Atlas Lions' are no longer a surprise, but the fruit of a long-term project. He said: 'The results achieved by the Moroccan national team have become expected and not surprising, because they are the product of work that began more than ten years ago, through a clear vision of investing in infrastructure and developing talent. I am confident that Morocco will be strongly present at the 2030 World Cup, and why not compete for the title.' In his remarks about the Saudi national team, Al-Fath praised its development, referring to his close knowledge of Saudi football after his previous experience officiating matches in the Saudi league. He said: 'Great efforts are being made within the Saudi federation, but the path towards global competition starts with expanding the talent base and focusing on youth categories. The Saudi league has become strong, and we hope that competition extends to more clubs, because that will directly reflect on the strength of the national team.' On the level of refereeing in the tournament, Al-Fath stressed that errors will always be part of football, adding: 'The referee is like a goalkeeper. He may play a perfect match for 90 minutes, but one mistake makes everyone forget everything he did. I think the refereeing in the World Cup was good, and there were some cases worth discussing, which is normal in a game that relies on subjective decisions. The most important thing is to continue developing and to deal with mistakes realistically and objectively.' Al-Fath sent a message to Arab referees, saying: 'Nothing is impossible. Self-confidence is the foundation, but it only comes through hard work, professionalism, and discipline. If you are the best in preparation, fitness, and readiness, then results will inevitably come.' The international referee concluded his remarks by choosing the team that entertained him in the tournament, saying: 'I am a football fan before being a referee, and the team I most enjoyed watching was Cape Verde. They played heroic matches with courage, did not rely on defense, but attacked, scored, and created excitement. That is the essence of football.'