After the final whistle of the second semifinal, it's time to make predictions. Who will officiate the big game between Spain and Argentina?
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Here the list of the referees who are still at the tournament.
AFC
Alireza Faghani
Adham Makhadmeh
CAF
Jalal Jayed
CONCACAF
Ivan Barton
Ismail Elfath
CONMEBOL
Jesús Valenzuela
Wilton Sampaio
UEFA
Espen Eskås
Szymon Marciniak
Maurizio Mariani
Glenn Nyberg
João Pinheiro
Slavko Vinčić
Slavko Vincic
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteVincic is the only European with the experience
ReplyDeleteWould either team accept Valenzuela? I think he's been excellent
My guess to preserve neutrality will be Faghani
Vincic
ReplyDeleteFRA - ENG: Jesus Valenzuela VEN (FO: Jalal Jayed MAR)
ReplyDeleteESP - ARG: Alireza Faghani AUS (FO: Wilton Sampaio BRA)
Wilton Sampaio out after Argentina qualification for the final.
ReplyDeleteNot a 100% for Valenzuela, but still in my opinion it would be hard to see him.
On the contrary, if we apply same principle, we should say that a UEFA referee should be out, but we know that very often UEFA referees have been assigned to Argentina, even against UEFA national teams.
Looking at the option, we would have Vincic as only candidate for this one, but given the situation UEFA - FIFA, a decision like this is very hard to predict. Also, the Slovenian didn't look to be in the spotlights to get a WC final.
The only and fully neutral option, of course meaning outside UEFA and CONMEBOL, is Faghani.
The Iranian referee could officiate this one, but I have doubts.
After having handled the CWC final one year ago, I thought he wasn't planned.
But now for sure we have options.
All the other referees are rather unexpected and some of them already got appearance in semifinals as fourth officials.
After all, my bet would be Faghani, but I'm not 100% convinced.
Can Collina surprise us?
What if he surprises us by appointing his favorite referee, Marciniak, and makes him a legend? I hope that doesn't happen.
DeleteMy prediction:
Vinčić
Faghani
@Chefren
DeleteHowever, I wouldn't rule out Marciniak's chances in these last two matches. As for Alizera, his Iranian heritage might be a problem. Are you taking this into account?
First its obvious that Conmebol referees are out! Sampaio becouse of Argetina, Valenzuela due to fact that nobody is crazy to made an experiment in such games!
ReplyDeleteThis leads us to:
1. Alireza Faghani as absolutley favourite to officiate that game, and he deserve it, after all in his carrer, and especially how he showed courage on Azteca!
2.Vincic- high profile name,with top performances through all championship
3. It would be history, but not imposiblez to repeat semifinal referee(Elfath after tonight top performance) in final!
4. Adam Makhadmeh- good performances,but less possible!
Faghani is the only referee at this WC with 3 OFRs. So performance-wise he should be out.
ReplyDeleteSo it's between Valenzuela and Vincic. If they accept the South-American referee, it will be him. If not, the only option is Vincic. Performance-wise.
Yes, and one OFR was correct no call,other two was hard to spot! Valenzuela out!
DeleteFaghani as the last game before retirement. He has be in Argentina game in 2022 as well. So I think he’s the most possible candidate.
ReplyDeleteWhen will the appointment actually be released?
ReplyDeleteMy bet :
ReplyDelete1. Faghani
2. Valenzuela
3. Vincic
If there were no tension between Ceferin and Infantino, I would definitely say Vinčić. Personally, I don't think they will give him the final for political reasons, as he is Ceferin's golden boy.
ReplyDeleteI dont beleive that Trump will approve a Irani referee in final into EUA. Then Faghani, Jayed and Makhadmeh are out.
ReplyDeleteMy prediction:
3rd place (FRA-ENG)
Referee: Vincic
4th Official: Eskas
Final (ESP-ARG)
Referee: Sampaio
4th Official: Valenzuela
Brazilian referees do not officate Argentina games,never in history!
DeleteCan be the first. I’d say Faghani, but will be minimum comic if Trump will put a medal in his neck
DeleteWC 1986 final
DeleteFab Gx- CWC 2025
DeletePhillip S - Speak about modern football, you remind me on me when spoke about Gonnella and Dinst :)))
Its true the brazilian Romualdo Arppi officiated final in 1986 Argentina vs Germany
DeleteGuys,Conmebol referees are out. Possible as Uefa referees. But, if you compare Vincic and Valenzuela, not possible, Vincic is much more bigger class! But, all of us now that FAGAHNI deserve it, and for his carrer, and for controling of high stakes matches!
ReplyDeletePredictions:
ReplyDeleteFinal (ESP-ARG): FAGHANI, 4O SAMPAIO
3rd Place (FRA-ENG): VINCIC/VALENZUALA, 4O MAKHADMEH
Final - Alireza Faghani
ReplyDelete4th official - Slavko Vincic
3rd place - Jesus Valenzuela
4th official - Adham Makhadmeh
Final: Spain - Argentina Faghani
ReplyDelete3rd place: France-England Valenzuela
My predictions:
ReplyDeleteFrance - England: Jesus Valenzuela, Jorge Urriego, Tulio Moreno (all VEN), Wilton Sampaio (BRA) - Juan Lara (CHI), Marco di Bello (ITA), Joe Dickerson (USA)
Spain - Argentina: Alireza Faghani, George Lakrindis, Andrew Lindsay (all AUS), Adham Makhadmeh (JOR) - Khamis Al Marri (QAT), Tatiana Guzman (NCA), Guillermo Pacheco (MEX)
Chefren, when we will know final referees?
ReplyDeleteTomorrow
DeleteMaurizio Mariani
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be surprised if Faghani is appointed. Given a penalty wasn't given for France and had two OFR reviews in the same match for Mexico vs. England (I'm assuming this is more frowned upon) I didn't peg him to be the favorite. Don't get me wrong, Faghani showed his composure and ability to withstand the pressure at the Azteca.
ReplyDeleteVincic to me showed great personality and management in the clash of Mexico and Paraguay (he did have an OFR for mouth covering but I honestly think it would have been hard for any of the officials to catch it in real time).
Everyone will get a meltdown when FIFA appoints João Pinheiro as the referee for the final
ReplyDeleteHere in Portugal this new would be amazing to shut up a lot of commentators on TV.
Seriously speaking it’s hard to imagine another option than Faghani. He got lucky with England and France out (the games with more controversy)
Collina will be calling Paris to see if Turpin can get a red eye flight back to the USA
ReplyDeleteCollina will turn to his protege Marcinek. Someone with personality to control egos on the park.
ReplyDeleteIf Trump were to choose the referee for the final, he would select Slavko Vincic because of his Slovenian wife. :D
ReplyDeleteFaghani had a photo with Trump from the ceremony last year on his Instagram account. It even got a record-breaking two million likes. He has deleted that post
ReplyDeleteFinal - Slavko Vincic
ReplyDelete4th official - João Pinheiro
3rd place - Adham Makhadmeh
4th official - Jesús Valenzuela
Vinci”s uncle Alexander and Collina are not fans of each other given veteran told Collina he could not be with uefa and fifa and put Rossetti in place. Add in veteran complaining about infantino and fifas handling of suspensions probably unlikely anuefa referee in middle
DeleteThat sounds to me more like a soap opera than a serious position let alone a meaningful analysis!
DeleteArbitres restants pour le tournoi après les désignations des demi-finales :
ReplyDelete(AFC)
🇦🇺 Alireza Faghani
🇯🇴 Adham Makhadmeh
(CAF)
🇲🇦 Jalal Jayed
(CONMEBOL)
🇻🇪 Jesús Valenzuela
🇧🇷 Wilton Sampaio
(UEFA)
🇳🇴 Espen Eskås
🇵🇱 Szymon Marciniak
🇵🇹 João Pinheiro
🇸🇮 Slavko Vinčić
Now it is obvious.
ReplyDeleteFinal Faghani, 4O Eskas
3rd Vincic, 4O Makhadmeh
+1
DeleteMy prediction
ReplyDeleteArgentina vs spain : joao pinheiro
France vs england : jesus valenzuela
My prediction
ReplyDeleteArgentina vs spain : joao pinheiro
France vs england : jesus valenzuela
😂😂😂😂😂😭
DeleteMy prediction:
ReplyDeleteFinal: Faghani (ref) Eskas (4th)
3rd place: Makhadmeh (ref) Sampaio (4th)
we football fans need our little boy BARTON for the final.
ReplyDeleteI'm still baffled/confused as to why Makkelie was not even retained..... Thoughts on why?
ReplyDeleteEither ranked lower in terms of the others above him from overall performances on matches or the referee committee didn’t assess his performances as highly as we did on here
DeleteWhat's the thinking when it's two countries that share a language, better to have a Spanish speaker or someone who doesn't speak a word?
ReplyDeleteThe way that Argentina verbally abuse the referee ,earplugs are a better option
DeleteThe referee will be the one that Argentina can manipulate the easiest.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that makes Sampiao the choice for appearances.
DeleteMy ideas about final: let’s consider out Barton and Elfath for thier apparence in the SF. Let’s rule out Pinheiro, Eskas, Nyberg, Mariani and Jayed for thier lack of experience. Sampaio is quite difficult to me for Angentina’s presence. Knowing Collina’s ego difficult to see Marciniak officiating 2 WC finals when Collina didn’t. Valanzuela is a good candidate to me. Vincic a strong one, skilled and experienced, allowing FIFA to re-establish good relationship with Uefa but Uefa already did final WC 2022. Faghani very strong candidate skilled, experienced and neutral in term of confederation but he already did CWC final last year. So why not the Jordan Mamhamed; he had an outstanding tournaments and Collina is indeed in favour towards Middle east countries (Qatar firstly). So finally I would say 30% each foe Vincic and Faghani, 35% Makhamed and 5% Valanzuela. But if I was in Collina’s shoes I would call back immediately Turpin, to me, overall the real best one
Delete2010 and 2014 WC finals had UEFA officiating teams so we could have back to back UEFA officials for WC finals.
DeleteBut who knows if Faghani is getting pushed to officiate the final.
2022 as well
DeleteWell, it is very hard to predict referee for the final this time. I thought it will be no UEFA referee this time, but now it seems CONCACAF (they had both semifinals) and CONMEBOL (because of Argentina) referees are out. Marciniak almost certainly not (don't think he will get second final, but with Collina and Busacca is everything possible). Faghani or Vinčič makes sense to me, but both of them could be eliminated because of political reasons. Maybe Collina is going to surprise us and use one of the semifinals referees again, or it will be Faghani/Vinčič, who knows...
ReplyDeleteBy confederation (1930–2022):
ReplyDeleteUEFA (Europe) – 13 finals
CONMEBOL (South America) – 5 finals
CAF (Africa) – 1 final (Saïd Belqola of Morocco, 1998)
CONCACAF – 0 finals
AFC (Asia) – 0 finals
OFC (Oceania) – 0 finals
As Concafaf referee officiate both the semifinals so alireza from Afc is clearly favorite unless any exception occurred
Mexican Edgardo Codesal Mendez from Concacaf did final in 1990 in Italy
DeleteCONCACAF 0 finals? Codesal Mendez from Mexico in 1990?
DeleteMy final predictions:
ReplyDeleteFinal: Alireza Faghani
3rd place: Adham Makhadmeh
Given the current situation, using two AFC referees in the final two matches seems the most sensible option. Although Faghani's refereeing of last year's Club World Cup final had previously seemed unlikely, I've now changed my mind after realizing there are no other suitable names to replace him. Makhadmeh's presence in the third-place match should be a reward for his excellent performances in this tournament.
My ideas about final: let’s consider out Barton and Elfath for thier apparence in the SF. Let’s rule out Pinheiro, Eskas, Nyberg, Mariani and Jayed for thier lack of experience. Sampaio is quite difficult to me for Angentina’s presence. Knowing Collina’s ego difficult to see Marciniak officiating 2 WC finals when Collina didn’t. Valanzuela is a good candidate to me. Vincic a strong one, skilled and experienced, allowing FIFA to re-establish good relationship with Uefa but Uefa already did final WC 2022. Faghani very strong candidate skilled, experienced and neutral in term of confederation but he already did CWC final last year. So why not the Jordan Mamhamed; he had an outstanding tournaments and Collina is indeed in favour towards Middle east countries (Qatar firstly). So finally I would say 30% each foe Vincic and Faghani, 35% Makhamed and 5% Valanzuela. But if I was in Collina’s shoes I would call back immediately Turpin, to me, overall the real best one
ReplyDeleteMight as well name an Argentinian referee because they have been favoured all the way in this Tournament.
ReplyDeleteI feel like a lack of European referees in the last 2 games will definitely cause more tension between FIFA and UEFA, but genuinely other then maybe Vincic, the best UEFA referees have been sent home (Oliver, Turpin) for me! I would like to see Faghani in final but this World Cup is already unpredictable so who knows!
ReplyDeletePortuguese and Brazilian referees won't be considered because they are neighbouring countries. Argentina will probably object to the Jordanian because he is a disciplinarian.Spain would object to the Venezuelan .so it leaves Faghani .
ReplyDeleteFor the final Faghani looks like being the only logical option...
ReplyDeleteFor 3rd place Makhadmeh would be a good choice, but Valenzuela or Sampaio are logical, too - but if they take a Uefa - Ref, Collina might favour his comrade Mariani, or they give Marciniak or Vincic their farewell-match. That's quite unpredictable.
I don't think it will change much... We know how the game is going to go. Argentina is going to start the game with very hard fouls and playing dirty and whoever is assigned will have explicit instructions not to penalize it at all...
ReplyDeleteAre there any referees left with enough personality and courage to protect the integrity of this final?
I'd suggest "adnane" for the final — if there's a "pelanty" in it, he'll spot it.
ReplyDeleteFaghani or Vinvic. Eskas 4th.
ReplyDeleteArgentina should disqualified from the final because of their political actions at the end of the semi ,contrary to FIFA regulations
ReplyDeleteDears, sometimes I have the impression that very often the comments expressed are more oriented toward harsh criticism of the referee, highlighting only his mistakes (and FIFA) rather than focusing objectively and calmly on the analysis of his performances, highlighting both his strengths and weaknesses, and placing them within the context of the match and the tournament as a whole.
ReplyDeleteEvery referee has his own characteristics, and aspects that qualify him both positively and negatively. The fact that we are in the 2026 World Cup makes no difference.
Modern football is all about speed and contact, increasingly difficult to interpret, with pressure that involves all players (players, coaches, and therefore also referees), especially in a showcase like a WC where the stakes are so high, and you have television and electronic eyes dissecting every move, fueling daily controversy and providing journalists with material.
But we are referees. And our sole yardstick must be the Laws of the Game, their interpretations, and their application criteria, which evolve as football evolves.
Let's leave the speculation to the journalists, please, and avoid fueling controversy with malicious ulterior motives and conspiracy theories—we, who should be making balance our primary rule.
So far in WC 2026, we've seen over 100 matches: the truly negative refereeing performances can be counted on the fingers of one hand (as confirmed by the grades assigned by Mikael W in his magnificent panel). Every week, 20-25 matches are played in national leagues around the world, and I honestly believe no one can see such low percentages of negative performances in their own country's leagues.
Can we do more and better? Sure, but the best referee is not the one who never makes mistakes, but the one who makes the fewest mistakes possible.
Also, the VAR issue: I've read endless controversy and criticism over VAR calls in this WC: we must remember that VAR was created to correct errors and, at the same time, the arbitrariness of refereeing decisions, promoting greater objectivity.
But it cannot eliminate the margin for error or interpretation, where there always remains—and it is good that it does—a subjective element of evaluation that can sometimes highlight discrepancies in criteria that are, and always will be, a human factor.
And from this perspective, VARs have generally worked well.
In Italy, let me tell you, as a National Ref Observer, they don't always work so well.
Finally let me say two words about Elfath's performance: his limitations are athleticism and positioning, and on a disciplinary level, a weakness both in his decision to penalize and when to do so, sometimes making him less credible. His strength is his ability to accurately identify whether contact is merely contact or a foul. Today, he confirmed his qualities.
Designating him for this match was a bit of a gamble, certainly a risky one. However, although his performance level (barely above adequate) cannot be said to be comparable to other referees present at this WC, in the end Elfath succeeded.
Concerning Finals presictions, IMO possible names could be:
1/2 Place: Faghani
3/4 Place: Jayed (or Valenzuela)
+10000000
DeleteAthleticism I can understand where you are coming from but how so in positioning? Do you mean too far from play or staying too central?
DeleteCompletely agree with you, ITAREF. Bravo!
Delete@David H: too central, and so sometimes also too far from play consequently.
DeleteGotcha, being too central was a very common theme throughout the tournament though no?
DeleteMaybe. But for Elfath, in my opinion, it's a conscious choice: having a non-performing athletic profile, a central position allows him to save himself physically and not be excessively distant from the action. But unfortunately, not even as close as he should be. It's just my opinion: I don't know if you, who know him better as a US player, agree with this.
DeleteHow can Faghani be a final candidate? He was excellent in 2018, worse in 2022 and burned in England-Mexico this year. And just remember his CWC final last year, that was one of the worst refereed matches.
ReplyDeleteI still think Valenzuela will get the final.
Argentina should be kicked out after their political demonstration at the end of the game.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who thought the referees performances in both semi-finals were pretty good? Each missed 1 yellow card for each team in each game but other than that handled it pretty well, unlike Tantashev who killed the game in France vs Paraguay
ReplyDeletePrediction
ReplyDeleteFinal: Faghani (4o Vincic)
3rd: Valenzuela (4o Sampaio)
I think FRA-ENG is the most suitable game for Valenzuela.
The possible surprise would be Makhadmeh in the final instead of Faghani.
Final: Faghani
ReplyDelete3rd place: Vincic
The only logical solution.