FIFA has confirmed France’s starting line-up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Morocco, and the selection has attracted attention after the governing body selected a full squad from Argentina. The quarter-final in Boston will be the first game in the tournament to have all five officials from the same country, a decision that has sparked debate among players even though FIFA is following the selection process that has been used throughout the tournament. The heavyweight quarter-final, a rematch of the World Cup 2022 semi-final, will be held on July 10 at the Boston Stadium and kick off at 1:30 am. IST, where the winners will move one step closer to the World Cup final.
FIFA has confirmed all of Argentina’s staff
FIFA announced on Tuesday that Argentine referee Facundo Tello will officiate the quarter-final between France and Morocco. He will be supported by fellow Argentines Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade, while DarÃo Herrera has been appointed as the fourth and Christian Navarro will be the assistant referee. The entire board of directors is:
- Singers: Facundo Tello (Argentina)
- Support Assistant 1: Juan Pablo Belatti (Argentina)
- Support Assistant 2: Gabriel Chade (Argentina)
- Fourth: Dario Herrera (Argentina)
- Reserve Assistant Referee: Christian Navarro (Argentina)
The appointment of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) has not yet been confirmed as FIFA has released the referees for the match. The appointment means that everyone working on the match will be from Argentina, making it the first time at the 2026 World Cup.
The historical selection follows the same process as FIFA’s predecessor
Although FIFA supporters were quick to question FIFA’s actions, the governing body has been selecting players and supporters from the same country throughout history. For example, England’s 3-2 Round of 16 victory against Mexico was overseen by three Australian players, while the Moroccan captain acted as a fourth and assistant referee. Likewise, Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 win over Egypt in the Round of 16 was overseen by French referee François Letexier along with two French assistant referees, and two French officials involved in the VAR operation. FIFA made the selection for France against Morocco on Monday, before Argentina’s defeat of Egypt, meaning the selection was finalized before the latest controversy involving French officials began.
Fans question FIFA’s decision amid recent controversy
Although it was established, the idea of ​​giving all the Argentines in the stadium to the French games was quickly reacted to by the media, especially because of the conflict between France and Argentina after the final of the 2022 World Cup. Another supporter wrote: “All the opponents of Argentina in the game of France, FIFA is trying everything to destroy the World Cup in Argentina again.” Another wrote: “FIFA is not hiding anymore. All you Argentines, why don’t you bring Messi to see VAR again.” A third said: “FIFA is a sad and corrupt organisation.” Another fan added: “You f**** hypocrisy. This is clearly deliberate.” However, those criticisms ignore the fact that France also benefited from having a French refereeing team that participated in Argentina’s 16th tournament by defeating Egypt. The match was marred after Egypt saw a second goal disallowed following VAR intervention before scoring again later on. Mohamed Salah he was also denied a late penalty appeal before Enzo Fernández scored the winner for Argentina. The Egyptian player, Mostafa Zico criticized the referee afterwards, telling the media: “The referee was not good. He did injustice. His injustice was obvious. He tortured us from the beginning of the game. They don’t want us to win.”
The quarter-final revives the semi-final competition for 2022
In addition to the discussion, the program has a history. France beat Morocco 2-0 in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup before losing to Argentina on penalties in one of the most memorable finals in the history of the game. This year’s meeting comes after France beat Paraguay 1-0 in a tense and furious Round of 16 where Kylian Mbappé was targeted repeatedly, while Morocco progressed after defeating the Netherlands on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
French players celebrate their team’s victory during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Paraguay and France in Philadelphia, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Attention has also turned to who will lead the World Cup final. FIFA always waits until the finalists are confirmed before appointing a referee because officials cannot officiate matches involving their country. Among those leading the charge are Poland’s Szymon Marciniak, who refereed the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France, and Dutch referee Danny Makkelie following the Netherlands’ early elimination from the tournament. Another possibility is Brazil’s Raphael Claus, one of 12 CONMEBOL players in the tournament. Mr Claus was already at the center of World Cup controversy after sending off United States striker Folarin Balogun against Bosnia and Herzegovina before FIFA imposed a one-match ban under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. The decision drew criticism from the entire soccer world after United States President Donald Trump asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review what happened before Balogun was allowed to play against Belgium. The United States eventually exited the tournament following a 4-1 loss.
