World Cup 2026: Algeria faces Argentina with Marciniak, referee of 2022 final

Algeria will begin its 2026 World Cup campaign against Argentina in the early hours of Wednesday, with Polish referee Szymon Marciniak on the whistle — a designation that revives two painful episodes in Algerian memory.

Marciniak was the main referee of the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France (3-3, 4-2 on penalties), a match whose management drew criticism worldwide, with some observers believing that several decisions favoured Lionel Messi’s teammates. He will be assisted by his compatriots Tomasz Listkiewicz and Adam Kupsik, as well as New Zealander Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh.

But it is another memory that weighs more heavily on the Algerian side. In the semi-final of the 2021 Arab Cup of Nations against Qatar, Marciniak awarded 18 minutes and 25 seconds of stoppage time when the display showed nine. This extra time allowed the Qataris to equalize 1-1. Algeria ultimately secured qualification (2-1) before winning the tournament in the final against Tunisia (2-0), but the episode remains etched in memories.

On the sporting front, this match promises to be one of the most anticipated of the first phase of the 2026 World Cup, alongside Brazil-Morocco and France-Senegal. The two nations share a group completed by Austria and Jordan, and will seek to gain an immediate advantage in the race for qualification.