English referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor will not be able to officiate any match involving Argentina 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 Athletic, Oliver will officiate the quarterfinal match between Spain and Belgium, which will be his seventh game of the tournament, the most matches handled by an English referee in a single World Cup. However, his chances of leading the final are very slim.

This is because FIFA regulations prohibit referees from officiating matches involving their national teams, to maintain neutrality and avoid conflicts of interest. But for English referees, the ban 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 file in Argentina, with President Javier Milei constantly reaffirming his country's sovereignty over the islands.

How does FIFA choose referees?

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

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

This is not limited to England and Argentina; the same rule may apply to other conflicts, 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 may directly affect the referee's own national team's progress 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 quarterfinal, because the winner could face England in the semifinals if England beats Norway.

The same principle is applied 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 connections that might raise suspicion.

Thus, Michael Oliver does not officiate Newcastle United or Sunderland matches because he is from northeastern England.

The final decision

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