Marciniak waits on FIFA final decision as Collina admiration fuels historic double bid at 2026 World Cup

Semi-final assignments leave Marciniak waiting

FIFA confirmed that Ivan Barton of El Salvador will referee the first semi-final between France and Spain in Dallas on 14 July, while American Ismail Elfath takes charge of England versus Argentina in Atlanta on 15 July. The appointments mean Szymon Marciniak, who officiated two group-stage matches at this tournament, remains without a knockout-round assignment. French referees Clement Turpin and Francois Letexier were removed from the officiating pool after France reached the semi-finals, an outcome reported by L'Equipe and noted by Polish outlets as improving Marciniak's chances for the final.

I thought he would referee France vs Spain, and I think Szymon thought so too. It was a surprise to me. His chances of officiating the final would increase if Argentina were not in the final.

Two fixtures now remain on the schedule: the third-place match in Miami on 18 July and the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 19 July. Referee expert Rafal Rostkowski described Marciniak's absence from the France-Spain semi-final as a sensation, but added that his exclusion from the Argentina semi-final was expected given the long history of Poland's referee in matches involving Lionel Messi.

The Algeria controversy and its shadow

Marciniak's tournament began under scrutiny after the group-stage meeting between Argentina and Algeria, which ended 3:0. The match featured two incidents that prompted an official complaint to FIFA from the Algerian Football Federation (FAF). In one sequence, Messi stepped on Aissa Mandi's calf with no intervention from the referee or VAR. Later, Alexis Mac Allister struck Ibrahim Maza with an elbow in the 74th minute, leaving the Algerian midfielder on the pitch for an extended period. Neither the on-field officials nor VAR assistant Tomasz Kwiatkowski reacted. FIFA has not released a public statement on the Algerian protest.

Marciniak's second group-stage match, Iran versus Egypt (1:1), drew positive reviews. In second-half stoppage time, Shoja Khalilzadeh bundled the ball into the Egypt net for what would have been a 2:1 Iran victory, but the goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.

If Marciniak were selected to referee the final, that would be a sensation. In the history of the World Cup, no person has ever refereed two finals of this tournament, let alone one after the other.

French exodus opens the door

L'Equipe confirmed that Letexier and Turpin, two of Europe's highest-rated officials, are out of the tournament because France advanced to the last four. Letexier had been mentioned as a possible final referee before the competition. Turpin, who oversaw the 2022 Champions League final, was criticised during the quarter-finals after failing to spot a ball striking an overhead cable during England's match against Norway, which would have required him to disallow Jude Bellingham's equaliser. Only Jerome Brisard remains available to FIFA, in a video-review capacity. Polish observers view the French pair's departure as directly boosting Marciniak's prospects.

That is good news. Pierluigi Collina is a man who would not be afraid to make a historic decision and entrust the World Cup final to the same referee for the second time in a row.

The third-place match alternative

If the final goes to another official, the most likely assignment for Marciniak is the match for third place. Michal Listkiewicz, a former international referee, suggested that is the most probable outcome. Rostkowski added a caveat: the bronze-medal fixture has traditionally gone to a young, promising official from Africa, Asia, or Central America, making a Marciniak appointment there less automatic than it appears. The Polish crew of Marciniak, Tomasz Listkiewicz, and Adam Kupsik remain in the United States while several other officiating teams have already departed, a detail cited as an encouraging sign.

What comes next

Zbigniew Boniek, former Polish FA president, said on the Meczyki channel that Collina has deep confidence in Marciniak. He framed the remaining decision as dependent on several factors falling into place. The final will take place at 21:00 local time on 19 July in New Jersey. Marciniak's potential assignment would break new ground: no referee has ever taken charge of consecutive World Cup finals. His appointment to the 2022 final in Qatar, where Argentina beat France on penalties, already placed him in a small elite group.

France versus Spain under way

France faces Spain in the first semi-final on 14 July, the second World Cup meeting between the two nations. Their only previous encounter came in the 2006 round of 16, when a Zinedine Zidane-inspired France came from behind to win 3:1. Kylian Mbappe, who shares the tournament's top-scorer spot with Messi on eight goals, has recovered fully from an ankle knock sustained against Morocco and trained without issue, according to coach Didier Deschamps. Spain held its final pre-match session at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, where more than 300 accredited outlets watched Luis de la Fuente put a 26-man squad through tactical work. Pedri and Fabian Ruiz are competing for the remaining midfield slot.