Oliver and Taylor banned from World Cup final as England and Argentina both reach semi-finals

Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor have been ruled out of the remainder of the 2026 World Cup, including the final, after England and Argentina both progressed to the semi-finals on Sunday.

England edged past Norway 2-1 in extra time to reach the last four, while Lionel Messi’s Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1, also after extra time. With both nations still in the competition, the two Premier League officials — the only English referees at the tournament — are now unable to take charge of any remaining fixture.

FIFA’s regulations prevent a referee from officiating matches involving their home country. That alone would have blocked Oliver and Taylor from the England vs Argentina semi-final. But the restrictions go further: referees also cannot take charge of a match that has a direct consequence for their home nation in the next round, which eliminates them from the other semi-final between France and Spain.

Even if Argentina beat England and advance to face the winner of France vs Spain, English officials remain barred from taking charge. FIFA recognises the 1982 Falklands War as a politically sensitive geopolitical factor, meaning English referees cannot officiate Argentina matches — or matches with a direct next-round consequence for Argentina — and vice versa. A FIFA spokesperson has previously confirmed the Falklands conflict is explicitly considered when making referee appointments, though disputes as far back as the Second World War are no longer treated as relevant factors.

This is not the first time the pair have been caught in the same situation. Mirror Football reported in 2022 that Taylor and Oliver were denied the chance to referee the World Cup final in Qatar for the same reason, with Argentina again involved.

The Argentina squad brought further attention to the historical tension after their quarter-final victory over Egypt, when players were filmed singing ‘Muchachos’ — a song that references the Falklands War — in the dressing room.

Oliver had officiated four matches at the tournament before his elimination: Netherlands vs Sweden, Norway vs France, Canada vs Morocco, and the quarter-final between Spain and Belgium — the latter notable for a moment in which Oliver accidentally impeded Spain’s Dani Olmo during play.