All-Argentine crew for France v Morocco fuels World Cup 2026 referee controversy

Facundo Tello, an Argentine referee who once sent off 10 players in a single club match, will officiate France’s World Cup 2026 quarter-final against Morocco in Boston on Thursday, leading a fully Argentine five-man crew in what FIFA has confirmed is the first knockout appointment of this tournament where every official shares the same nationality.

The decision has drawn immediate backlash from French fans and media, arriving at a moment when accusations of favouritism toward holders Argentina are already running high. Argentina advanced to the quarter-finals after a controversial 3-2 comeback win over Egypt, in which Egypt had a goal disallowed and protested furiously over a perceived foul in the build-up to Enzo Fernandez’s stoppage-time winner. Egyptian forward Mostafa Ziko publicly accused the World Cup of being “fixed”, and Egypt have since filed an official complaint to FIFA demanding that referee Francois Letexier and his crew be removed from the tournament.

FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina responded by insisting that “nobody can question the integrity” of the officiating and that referees are “not influenced by anyone”. The appointment of another Argentine crew for a fixture involving one of Argentina’s primary rivals for the title has done little to quiet those concerns.

Tello, 44, has refereed in Argentina’s top flight since 2013 and was also on duty at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he oversaw three matches including Morocco’s 1-0 quarter-final victory over Portugal — a result the Atlas Lions will remember fondly. He made history at Euro 2024 as just the second non-UEFA official to referee at the tournament, taking charge of Turkey vs Georgia and Scotland vs Hungary.

His most notorious moment came in November 2022, when he sent off 10 players during Argentina’s Champions Trophy final between Racing Club and Boca Juniors — a record that underlines both his willingness to act decisively and his capacity to find himself at the centre of controversy.

At World Cup 2026, Tello has so far refereed Canada’s opening 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina and South Africa’s 1-0 win over South Korea. Thursday’s quarter-final will be his first knockout assignment of the tournament.