Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has revealed his surprise at FIFA's choice of the center referee who will officiate the England vs Argentina World Cup semi-final.on Wednesday in Atlanta.
Halsey is worried about Messi's good omen as Elfath was the fourth official four years ago in Qatar during Argentina's final against France when Messi won his maiden World Cup, and in the Major League Soccer (MLS), where the Argentine captain plays, he has won all four of his four league outings that Elfath was in charge.
"I was surprised by Ismail Elfath’s appointment. Given the history of this fixture and the prize at stake, I believe it should have gone to someone with more games under their belt, particularly in European competitions," Halsey complained.
"The majority of the English and Argentinian players play in Europe, so I’d have liked a referee who knows them inside out and officiates regularly at the business end of the Champions League. Elfath refs in the MLS and will only really know the Inter Miami duo, Lionel Messi and Rodrigo de Paul. He simply will not have faced this sort of pressure before," Halsey quipped.
"Elfath may actually be a good omen for Argentina; he was the fourth official for their 2022 triumph, and Messi has won all four matches he’s played Stateside with him in the middle," he continued.
"But I don’t believe the appointment has anything to do with favouritism. Fifa must trust him, and he will referee what is in front of him," he said.