FIFA ban Premier League referees from World Cup final even if England lose against Argentina
Here is how a 42-year-old conflict has barred English referees from officiating Sunday's World Cup final.
This week, Spain will take on France while England will face long-time rivals Argentina, with the winners of each match meeting at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. But with both England and Argentina being part of the last four, this presents an unusual situation which essentially bans Premier League refs Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor from being a part of any fixture going forward.
So why is this?
'Geopolitical sensitivities' bar Premier League referees from remaining World Cup fixtures
According to FIFA rules, a referee cannot officiate a match involving their home country in order to avoid allegations of bias or fixing. Which is pretty understandable.
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Referees cannot take part in a game where the result could see a team face their home country in the following round either, which means that England vs Argentina and France vs Spain will not feature referees from French, Spanish, English or Argentinian leagues.
However, a unique rule means that, regardless of Tuesday and Wednesday's result, neither Oliver nor Taylor will be called upon again for their refereeing duties.
This is because FIFA takes political and geopolitical sensitivities, both current and historical, into account when selecting officials for matches, barring the pair from officiating any match containing Argentina, or a match which would have an impact on their opponent.
Why can't English referees officiate matches involving Argentina?
This is due to the 1982 Falklands War between England and Argentina.
Known as the Islas Malvinas in Spanish, the Falklands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located around 300 to 420 miles from the coast of Argentina.
The islands have been under British control in some form or another since 1833, following previous periods of control by France, Spain, Argentina and the US.
However, the South American nation has long contested British custody of the 3,662-person islands, where penguins vastly outnumber people, claiming that it is part of the Argentine state, following its independence from Spain.
This dispute came to a head in the 1982 Falklands War, a 10-week conflict which was triggered when Argentina occupied the islands.
Despite the conflict coming to an end in June 1982, the ownership of the islands remains a sensitive one for Argentina to this day (anyone remember that Top Gear episode?), a topic which came up during dressing room chants heard by the Argentinian players after they beat Switzerland.
So, understandably, FIFA wants to steer clear of causing any controversy or upset.
The decision does, however, mean both Taylor and Oliver will miss out on a hefty payday. As referees who take part in a World Cup final can expect to bag some hefty bonuses for officiating matches in the latter stages of the tournament, according to a report from The Times.
However, this doesn't mean the pair will be walking away empty-handed, as the report added that refs selected by FIFA have been paid around up to $100,000 (£85,000) for their services.
World Cup 2026 fixture schedule and UK kick off times
Tuesday, 14 July
Semi-final - Match 101: France vs Spain, kick-off 8pm - Arlington, US
Wednesday, 15 July
Semi-final - Match 102: England vs Argentina, kick-off 8pm - Atlanta, US
Saturday, 18 July
Third Place Playoff - Match 103: Match 101 losers vs Match 102 losers, kick-off 10pm - Miami, US
Sunday, 19 July
Final - Match 104: Match 101 winners vs Match 102 winners, kick-off 8pm - New Jersey, US
Brenna Cooper