Hopes for good officiating against Morocco...

France coach Deschamps praises referee's performance in Egypt-Argentina match

France national team coach Didier Deschamps sought on Wednesday to defuse any controversy over the appointment of an Argentine referee to officiate the France-Morocco match in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, expressing his confidence in the officiating 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 his two compatriots on the lines.

This appointment came one day after French referee François Letexier officiated the Argentina-Egypt quarter-final, which ended with Argentina winning 3-2, amid ongoing sporting tension 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 take the view that referee appointments are beyond my control and I cannot change them. I trust the referees, and I hope that Mr. Tello and his assistants deliver the same performance as Mr. Letexier and his crew.'

He added: 'There will always be decisions that may be controversial depending on which team you support, but our opponent is Morocco, not the referee. I will not consider him an adversary; he is there to enforce the laws of the game in the best possible way.'

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

Regarding the match against Morocco, which France previously defeated 2-0 in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, Deschamps praised the capabilities 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 clash between two teams that love ball possession, attacking play, and scoring 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.'