Born in Casablanca and naturalized as an American citizen, Ismail El Fath has been appointed to referee the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina. At the age of 44, one of FIFA’s most respected referees continues his remarkable journey, four years after serving as the fourth official in the 2022 World Cup final.
Having moved to the United States at the age of 18 through the Diversity Visa Lottery, El Fath studied mechanical engineering in Texas before turning to refereeing. After officiating in Major League Soccer (MLS) from 2012, he became the first referee to oversee a match using VAR in the American league in 2016.
An inspiring journey to the World Cup
An international referee since 2017, Ismail El Fath has officiated at a series of major tournaments, including the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Olympic Games, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and now the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
During this edition, he has already refereed several important matches, including Netherlands vs. Japan, Spain vs. Uruguay, and Norway vs. Brazil in the Round of 16. Nicknamed by some as Lionel Messi’s « lucky referee » because of the Argentine star’s many victories under his officiating, the Casablanca native continues to proudly represent his Moroccan roots on the world stage.
In 2025, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) entrusted him with a mission to modernize refereeing in Morocco, a project that was eventually interrupted for family reasons. Nevertheless, Ismail El Fath remains one of Morocco’s greatest success stories in the world of international refereeing.
