The American-Moroccan Elf referee will be in charge of the fourth match of the 2026 World Cup, between England and Argentina.
Moroccan-born American football referee Ismail Elfus will officiate Wednesday’s FIFA World Cup semifinal match between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium.
This will be the 44-year-old’s fourth game in charge after the 2-2 draw between Japan and the Netherlands in the group stage, the 1-0 win between Spain and Uruguay, and the impressive 2-1 win over Norway against Brazil in the Round of 16.
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Here’s what you need to know about Elfs’ personal history and career as a referee.
To America via Morocco
Born in the Moroccan city of Casablanca, Elfus immigrated to the United States in 2001 at the age of 17 after securing a visa under the United States’ Diversity Visa Program (commonly referred to as the “Diversity Lottery”).
Elfus graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in mechanical engineering and later became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
He lives in Austin, Texas.
From Major League Soccer to the World Cup
Elfas’ entry into refereeing was rather fortuitous, as he started out as a player, serving as a striker for the amateur team Austin Lightning in USL League Two.
During a play, the referee made a bad call, so he started picking up the whistle himself.
“I was an impatient player,” Elfs said in a 2022 interview with the Austin Chronicle.
“I was always complaining to the guy who ran the league, and one day he said to me, ‘You should become an umpire because you’re always complaining.'”
After attending an officiating clinic, Elfas began officiating in youth games, high school, and semi-pro leagues. He has always held a full-time job in IT sales.
Finally, Elfus made the jump to the US top flight Major League Soccer (MLS) as the fourth official in 2011 and became a referee the following year.
In 2016, he was officially listed as a FIFA referee.
That same year, American athletes also became part of history. Elfas was the referee for the USL match between New York Red Bulls II and Orlando City B, which was the world’s first on-field video assistant referee (VAR) review.
Over the past 14 years working in MLS, Elfas has been named the league’s Umpire of the Year twice (2020, 2022).
The path from the Olympics and AFCON to the World Cup
After officiating matches at several high-profile tournaments, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2021 African Cup of Nations, Elfas made his senior World Cup debut in Qatar in 2022.
“I’m a triple minority: I’m an immigrant, I’m African-American, and I’m Muslim. I’m the only representative of the United States, so it’s a very humbling responsibility, but it’s also one of those positions where you can say, ‘Anything is possible,'” he said, looking back on the opportunity to step onto the world stage.
Elfs, one of North America’s top officials, officiated two group matches and one knockout match at the 2022 World Cup, and was the fourth official in the epic final, in which Argentina defeated France on penalties.
During the last World Cup, Elfas attracted attention with his pleasant gestures. Shortly after giving his marching orders after giving Cameroon’s Vincent Abubakar a second yellow card after he took off his shirt to celebrate an stoppage-time winner against Brazil, Elfas flashed a smile and shook hands with the striker.
The 2026 tournament will be Elfas’ second World Cup appearance, and he is one of a record eight U.S. soccer referees to compete in the tournament.
In the three matches he refereed, Elfas handed out seven yellow cards and one red card for Uruguay’s Agustín Canobbio for lunging at Pau Kvarsi.
In the semi-final match between England and Argentina, Elfs will be assisted by fellow Americans Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins, while Italy’s Maurizio Mariani will be the fourth official and compatriot Daniele Bindoni will serve as reserve assistant referee.
