The English referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor will not be able to officiate any match involving the Argentina national team in the 2026 World Cup, despite being among the tournament's top referees, due to political and geopolitical considerations linked 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 match of the tournament, the most matches an English referee has officiated in a single World Cup edition. However, his chances of officiating the final appear very slim.

This is because FIFA regulations prohibit referees from officiating matches involving their own national teams, to maintain neutrality and avoid conflicts of interest. But for English referees, the prohibition extends to Argentina matches as well 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, where President Javier Milei constantly reiterates his country's claim to sovereignty over the islands.

How does FIFA select 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 that has political or historical disputes with another country is not assigned to officiate a match involving that national team, in order 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 disputes, such as not assigning matches involving Iran to referees from the United States, or vice versa.

Not only national team matches

These criteria also extend to matches that could directly affect the progress 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 not be candidates to officiate the Switzerland-Argentina quarter-final, because the winner could face England in the semi-finals if Norway is overcome.

A principle also applied in club competitions

The same idea applies 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 may raise doubts.

Thus, Michael Oliver does not officiate matches of Newcastle United or Sunderland because he originates from North East 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.