English referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor will not be able to officiate any match involving the Argentine national team in the 2026 World Cup, despite being among the tournament's top referees, due to political and geopolitical considerations related to the legacy of the Falklands War.

According to The Athltic, Oliver will take charge of the Spain-Belgium match in the quarter-finals, marking his seventh game of the tournament—the most matches an English referee has ever officiated in a single World Cup. However, his chances of leading the final are extremely slim.

This is because FIFA regulations prohibit referees from officiating matches of their own national teams, in order to maintain neutrality and avoid conflicts of interest. But for English referees, the ban also extends to matches involving Argentina due to the historical dispute between the two countries over the Falkland Islands.

Legacy of the Falklands War

The Falklands War broke out in 1982 and lasted 74 days between the United Kingdom and Argentina, ending with the surrender of Argentine forces and the return of the islands to British control.

The war left 649 Argentine soldiers and 255 British soldiers dead, in addition to three islanders. The issue remains a sensitive topic in Argentina, with President Javier Milei repeatedly reaffirming his country's claim to sovereignty over the islands.

How does FIFA choose referees?

FIFA appoints referees for each match separately, taking into account a number of factors, including geopolitical considerations.

Under this policy, a referee from a country that has political or historical conflicts with another country is not assigned to officiate a match involving that national team, in order to avoid any appearance of bias or conflict of interest.

This is not limited to England and Argentina; the same rule can apply to other disputes, such as not assigning matches involving Iran to referees from the United States, or vice versa.

Not just national team matches

These criteria also extend to matches that could directly affect the path of the referee's own national team in the tournament.

For this reason, English referees were not candidates to officiate any match in England's group during the group stage, and they will also not be candidates to officiate the Switzerland-Argentina quarter-final, because the winner could face England in the semi-finals if England defeats Norway.

Principle also applied in club competitions

The same idea is used in club competitions. In the English Premier League, referees are prohibited from officiating matches of clubs from their own regions or with which they have ties that could raise suspicion.

This is why Michael Oliver does not officiate Newcastle United or Sunderland matches, as he is from the North East of England.

The final decision

The appointment of referees is overseen by a team led by Pierluigi Collina, who has the final say in selecting officiating crews for each match, taking into account technical, geographical, and political aspects to ensure the highest levels of integrity and neutrality in the tournament.