Uzbekistan's Tantashev to referee Paraguay vs France World Cup quarter-final clash

Ilgiz Tantashev of Uzbekistan has been confirmed as the referee for Paraguay’s round-of-16 clash with France at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, July 4. The 42-year-old is taking charge of his third match at this World Cup.

Tantashev previously oversaw Scotland’s 1-0 defeat to Morocco and Algeria’s 3-3 draw with Austria in the group stage. He has prior experience at the Asian Cup and the 2024 Summer Olympics, where he was appointed for the semi-finals but had to be replaced after colliding with Spain’s Marc Pubill.

Scotland felt aggrieved by his officiating against Morocco, with referee analyst Christina Unkel noting that Tantashev “is known for having more of a higher level of physical contact needed” before awarding a foul — a detail that could prove significant in a high-stakes knockout tie.

Tantashev will be assisted by fellow Uzbeks Andrey Tsapenko and Timur Gaynullin as linesmen. Qatar’s Abdulrahman Al-Jassim serves as fourth official, with compatriot Taleb Al-Marri as reserve. Chilean Juan Lara heads the VAR booth, supported by Italy’s Marco Di Bello and American Joe Dickerson.

The match carries considerable weight on both sides. Paraguay arrive having already eliminated Germany on penalties in the round of 32, while France have been in dominant form throughout the tournament, most recently dismantling Sweden to advance with ease.

The winners will face either Canada or Morocco in the quarter-finals, with a potential semi-final against one of Portugal, Spain, the United States, or Belgium beyond that.