Tantashev, the Paraguay-France referee already flagged for several controversial matches

Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev is at the center of criticism following the World Cup round of 16 between Paraguay and France, won by the Blues 1-0. His management of the match, deemed too permissive, earned him a rating of 1/10 from L’Équipe, and former international referee Tony Chapron, now a consultant, said he had seen “a district referee” officiating in a knockout match.

This is not the first time Tantashev has come under scrutiny for the wrong reasons. In 2024, he refereed the AFC Champions League final, won by Al-Ain against Yokohama Marinos. Harry Kewell, manager of the Japanese club, had then called the refereeing “horrible” and said he felt they had been “robbed”.

The Uzbek had also officiated at the Club World Cup before finding himself at the whistle for a particularly tense France-Argentina match at the Olympics. This match, played two years after the World Cup final between the two nations, featured players like Olise, Mateta and Koné on the pitch for France, and Cherki, Doué and Akliouche on the bench. The match deteriorated: five yellow cards given to the French, four to the Argentines, and a red card awarded to Enzo Millot after the final whistle, following a general brawl. Tantashev had failed to control proceedings that evening either.

His refereeing record remains essentially anchored in the AFC Champions League, which fuels questions about FIFA’s selection criteria for entrusting such a profile with a World Cup round of 16.