Starmer hints at bank holiday if England win as France-Morocco referee row deepens

The 2026 World Cup quarter-finals begin on Saturday with France taking on Morocco at 9pm UK time, a match already overshadowed by fierce debate over FIFA’s decision to appoint an all-Argentinian officiating crew — a choice that drew immediate backlash given Argentina defeated France in the 2022 final, and both nations remain alive in this tournament.

France head coach Didier Deschamps moved to defuse the row ahead of kick-off. “I trust the referees,” he said. “Our opponent is Morocco, not the referee.”

The controversy follows a separate officiating dispute involving Egypt, whose Football Association demanded that French referee François Letexier and his team be removed from the tournament after a 3-2 last-16 defeat to Argentina. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan implied favouritism, saying: “Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition.”

FIFA’s chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina pushed back firmly. “Unfounded allegations have no place in our sport,” Collina said in a statement published on FIFA’s website. “Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials. Equally, nobody can claim that FIFA refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA president.”

On the England front, Prime Minister Keir Starmer stopped short of a firm promise but raised the prospect of a bank holiday should the Three Lions go all the way. Asked directly whether he would back one if England won, Starmer told reporters: “I don’t want to jinx it, but ask me again if we get to the final.”

England face Norway in their quarter-final on Saturday, but the Scandinavians have endured a turbulent build-up. A sickness bug swept through the Norwegian camp, and the squad were forced to relocate from their Miami hotel amid a series of disruptions — setbacks that could weigh on Erling Haaland and his teammates heading into the tie.