Referee Ismail Elfath’s act of prostration, or sajda, after Argentina’s World Cup semi-final win over England has gone viral, with fans praising the Moroccan-born American official’s gesture of humility and gratitude.
Elfath was seen performing an act of prostration after Argentina’s 2-1 comeback victory, which sent Lionel Messi’s side into the World Cup final against Spain.
Born in Casablanca, Elfath moved to the United States at the age of 18 after winning a Diversity Immigrant Visa. He has officiated in Major League Soccer since 2012, became a Fifa-listed referee in 2016 and has twice been named MLS Referee of the Year.
He was also selected for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he served as fourth official for the final between Argentina and France.
Elfath’s appointment for the England-Argentina match also made him the first American to referee a World Cup semi-final.
However, his handling of the match came under scrutiny after several contentious decisions during a physical first half.
Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett criticised Elfath for not issuing an early yellow card to Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez after a head-high challenge on England’s Elliot Anderson. Critics said the decision helped set the tone for a tense match marked by frequent fouls and repeated appeals from England players.
The decision drew further attention after Fernandez later scored Argentina’s equaliser in the 85th minute, cancelling out Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute opener. Lautaro Martinez then completed Argentina’s comeback with a stoppage-time header.
Elfath’s appointment had already prompted debate online because Messi’s teams were 5-0 in matches in which Elfath had worked in some capacity. Critics used the statistic to claim favouritism towards Argentina, though no evidence of bias has been presented.
Supporters of Elfath have pointed to his experience and record in major matches, while critics argue that the appointment created an optics problem for Fifa before such a high-profile fixture.
After the match, Messi dismissed allegations that Argentina had benefited from refereeing decisions, saying the team’s success was built on consistency, effort and quality on the pitch.
Argentina’s victory keeps alive their bid to become back-to-back world champions, while England missed the chance to reach the World Cup final.
