English referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor will not be able to officiate any match that involves the Argentina national team in the 2026 World Cup, even though they are among the tournament's top referees, due to political and geopolitical considerations related to the legacy of the Falklands War.

According to The Athletic, Oliver will officiate the quarter-final match between Spain and Belgium, which will be his seventh in the tournament, the highest number of matches officiated by an English referee in a single World Cup edition. However, his chances of leading the final are very slim.

This is because FIFA regulations prevent referees from officiating matches of their own national teams, to maintain neutrality and avoid conflicts of interest. But for English referees, the ban also extends to Argentina matches 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 resulted in the deaths of 649 Argentine soldiers, 255 British soldiers, and three islanders. The issue remains a sensitive file in Argentina, where President Javier Milei continuously reaffirms his country's claim to sovereignty over the islands.

How does FIFA select referees?

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

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

This is not limited to England and Argentina; the same rule could 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 among the candidates to officiate any match in England's group during the group stage, nor will they be candidates to officiate the Switzerland-Argentina quarter-final, because the winner of that match could face England in the semi-finals if Norway is defeated.

Principle also applied in club competitions

The same idea is also applied in club competitions. In the English Premier League, referees are barred from officiating matches of clubs from regions they belong to or with which they have connections that could raise suspicions.

Thus, Michael Oliver does not officiate matches for Newcastle United or Sunderland because he hails from northeast England.

The final decision

Referee assignments are overseen by a team led by Pierluigi Collina, who has the final say in choosing refereeing crews for each match, taking into account technical, geographical, and political aspects to ensure the highest levels of integrity and impartiality in the tournament.