Alan Shearer has voiced significant concern over the potential for refereeing decisions to cost England in their World Cup semi-final against Argentina. The former Three Lions captain, speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, went as far as to predict that one or two red cards could be shown during the match.
FIFA Appoints All-American Referee Team
FIFA has announced that American referee Ismail Elfath will officiate the game, assisted by Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins, forming an all-American trio. Italian officials Maurizio Mariani and Daniele Bindoni will serve as fourth official and reserve assistant referee, respectively. Elfath has already issued one red card during this tournament, and Shearer anticipates at least another in Atlanta.
"It would worry me re decisions," Shearer said on The Rest is Football. "I do think because there'll be a bit of spice, it wouldn't surprise me if there were a red card or two as well."
Shearer Highlights Controversial Calls Favoring Argentina
Expanding on his comments to Betfair, Shearer highlighted that several contentious decisions have gone in Argentina's favour during the tournament. "I'm slightly concerned that a refereeing decision or VAR could cost us against Argentina because I think the narrative from the referees and the VAR from the start of the tournament to now has changed massively," he said.
Shearer referenced a France match where Kylian Mbappé was fouled, and the referee stuck with his on-field decision despite being sent to the monitor, which Shearer believed was a clear penalty. "And that has totally changed over the last 10 days, two weeks, the longer the tournament's gone on," he added.
"I have been amazed at some of the decisions that Argentina have had, particularly that one against Egypt where their Egyptian goal was pulled back and cancelled out. I thought that was nonsense. It is a bit of a concern when playing them."
VAR Incidents in Argentina's Previous Matches
VAR also intervened during Argentina's quarterfinal against Switzerland, re-awarding a yellow card shown for a foul by Leandro Paredes to Breel Embolo after he was found to have dived. That was the Swiss striker's second booking of the match, leading to him being sent off five minutes after Argentina's opponents equalised.
In Argentina's opening match, Lionel Messi avoided a red card after standing on the back of Algeria's Aissa Mandi's leg. If adjudged serious foul play, he would have missed two group-stage games.
Shearer's Warning Ahead of Crucial Clash
Shearer's comments underscore the heightened tension surrounding the semi-final, with England fans wary of officiating bias. The match in Atlanta is set to be a high-stakes encounter, with Shearer's concerns reflecting broader anxieties about consistency in decision-making.
