The entire Argentinian refereeing delegation has been removed from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, meaning they will not officiate the semi-finals or final. FIFA's strict neutrality rules require referees to be disqualified from matches involving their home nation, and Argentina's progression to the semi-finals against England triggered this policy.
Officials Sent Home
Main on-field referees Facundo Tello, Yael Falcon Perez, and Dario Herrera have been sent home. They are joined by assistant referees Juan Pablo Belatti, Gabriel Chade, Maximiliano Del Yesso, Facundo Rodríguez, and Cristian Navarro, as well as video assistant referee (VAR) Hernan Mastrangelo. The entire support team has been stood down.
Neutrality Rules and Geopolitical Factors
According to FIFA regulations, referees cannot officiate matches involving their own country. Since Argentina faces England in the semi-finals, the Argentinian officials are barred from that match. Additionally, the 'direct next-round consequence' rule prevents them from officiating the other semi-final or the final, as Argentina could advance. The long-standing geopolitical sensitivities surrounding the 1982 Falklands War also play a role, with FIFA strictly prohibiting Argentine referees from overseeing any matches involving England.
English Referees Also Sidelined
Similarly, English referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor have been sent home after England reached the semi-finals. Under the same neutrality guidelines, they cannot referee matches involving England. Even if England were eliminated by Argentina, Oliver and Taylor would remain ineligible for the final due to FIFA's geopolitical policies barring English officials from matches involving Argentina.
