Ismail Elfath from host country in action for his third game at 2026 WC: Brazil - Norway in the Round of 16.
Match #91
Round of 16
5 July 2026, 22:00 CET
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
BRAZIL - NORWAY
Referee: Ismail Elfath USA
Assistant Referee 1: Corey Parker USA
Assistant Referee 2: Kyle Atkins USA
Fourth Official: Said Martinez HON
Reserve AR: Walter Lopez HON
Video Assistant Referee: Tatiana Guzman NCA
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 1 : Leodan Gonzalez URU
Assistant Video Assistant Referee 2 : Carlos Del Cerro Grande ESP
Good luck to Eltafh and his team!
ReplyDeleteHow did that PK correct a clear and obvious error?
DeleteAssigning him to such an important match after his poor performance in the Spain-Uruguay game is clearly a political decision... he'll probably referee the final too... I have no faith in anyone left after today'... the worst World Cup ever.
ReplyDeleteHonestly we shouldn’t even bother commenting on the remaining matches. It’s not like the onfield decisions matter anyway; one call and you know the rest….
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how Elfath performs, personally I am not optimistic but I wish him and the team well and hopefully there are no major issues.
ReplyDeleteOFFICIAL: Belgian Federation statement on Folarin Balogun red card case…
ReplyDeletehttps://x.com/belreddevils/status/2073852237957525776?s=46
Host nation favoritism. That is what this assignment is.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Ref Comm somehow shoehorns Penso into another assignment.
Heck, she and her crew might already be penciled in for the 3rd place match.
Interesting to see the political interference in the United States red card ban being over turned, you can’t rule things out.
DeleteI wonder if we will see a harsh line today from the ref after last nights horrenduous performance. FIFA can ill afford another display like that.
ReplyDeleteHarsh and strict are two words that I wouldn’t associate with Elfath. I’d also add slow, stiff, and immobile.
DeleteMaybe he is told to be a certain "way" tonight.
DeleteConsidering how much this forum despises all non-UEFA referees, I'm sure every questionable decision Elfath makes for 90 minutes will be indicative of how incompetent he is. If the game is getting heated and he starts giving cards, you'll all say he lost control.
ReplyDeleteWell there’s your first big decision of the game and he mad a complete hash of it. Poor positioning for a relatively easy on field decision to be made
DeleteWow, your post really aged well…
DeleteI think that’s a harsh call, I think yes you do get some silliness around some comments but comments are around referees are mostly based off the performance of the game. Doesn’t matter where they are from. I’ve seen non-UEFA referees do well, then the performances get praised, so don’t take a small sample of posters and assume it is fact.
DeleteElfath has had two really weak games, the criticism is more than fair.
Good first offside by AR2
ReplyDeleteGood offside decision. Perhaps they'll have the king of Norway phone up and reverse it
ReplyDeleteMuito.brm posição de impedimento
ReplyDeleteStonewall penalty
ReplyDeleteFull-Sequence + APP Replay:
Deletehttps://streamable.com/bncg3n
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteBiggest issue here was his positioning. We know there has been a directive for referees to stay central. Interesting positioning where he seems to be thinking Martinelli was running towards the goal line, so made a run towards him. However, completely misses the body language that the player intends to pass. By the time the ball was played across the box, he just starts to move across towards Cunha. His view is completely impeded and can’t see the tackle or whether the defender got a touch on the ball. What is your take on his positioning?
DeleteMy feeling is in mls he would be wider his usual position
DeleteHuge miss by Elfath
ReplyDeleteClear PK missed on 11'. Elfath waved it away and I can't believe it was missed on field.
ReplyDeleteAll stemmed from being in the wrong position to properly analyse the challenge.
DeleteUnacceptable at this level
ReplyDeleteabsolutely clear penalty kick to be given
ReplyDeleteThis should be spotted live!
ReplyDeleteHere we go again.....
ReplyDeleteclear pen
ReplyDeleteClear pelanty
ReplyDeleteHuge miss, unacceptable to miss on live. It was on his face.
ReplyDeleteClear PK missed
ReplyDeleteGot to be an OFR
ReplyDeleteNo comment. This is a Stonewall penalty….refereeing at this world cup is simply awful.
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteNo referee again today. elfath is missing. So easy and clear penalty not given. …. Easy
ReplyDeleteVery poor to miss that.
ReplyDeleteGod that was too clear
ReplyDeleteClear and concise announcement, thats a positive.
ReplyDeleteWell done VAR
ReplyDeleteEmbarrassing to not see that live on the pitch. Very poor!
ReplyDeleteGood announcement after review not the best of starts by the referee
ReplyDeleteClear pk. Clear caution card for dissent. Cannot let the player grab your arm.
ReplyDeleteYes.. and what happened to "only the captain can talk to the ref" ?
Delete@CQuenza
DeleteIt's just a UEFA guideline AFAIK, not FIFA's.
It should be a FIFA rule also. It has worked wonders in Europe.
DeleteQuilava: This is not true. “Only the captain” is an IFAB optional modification for competitions, not only UEFA. It is required as part of the laws next year. UEFA has adopted it since its inception, and in the past FIFA has adopted it, but they either didn’t adopt it, or it’s not been enforced for this World Cup.
DeleteGood call @RAPenjoyer, the fact that we haven’t seen the signal made by the referee all tournament, then it must be that FIFA haven’t adopted it. Interesting that after 1 July 2027 it will become a compulsory guideline for all competitions.
Deletepossible foul in APP before the PK?
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the same....
DeleteIf VAR are going to review the penalty incident (the referee only needed 2/3 replays of the penalty,) then should have included the foul in the lead up to the goal too. Perhaps in terms of the high bar of foul detection, not considered enough? Or maybe the fact that the Norway players had enough time to reset so didn’t have an impact on the incident?
DeleteThere should also be a yc for that foul tbh
ReplyDeleteWell surely he is done now, even despite being from the host country.... With Beida Busacca said "thank god we have someone in Dallas".... Ditto tonight.
ReplyDeleteThis is simply unacceptable to not detect this live. Very poor Elfath again. Thks Guzman.
ReplyDeleteAnd i don’t speak about the dissent with a player who touched ref…
DeleteWell,strange for me, good positioning and missed this situation. Congrats to Tatiana Guzman!
ReplyDeleteYet to see a wide angle replay but I'm not convinced on the good positioning part. I think he's too straight behind it and doesn't see the touch from attacker before defender trips him.
Delete+1. Straight behind the attacker was a very bad angle
DeleteYes, because he is very slow and not athletic. He cant keep up with pace.
DeleteAnd all continues....
ReplyDeletePênalti bem marcado porém.se adiantou um pouco deveria ter voltado.
ReplyDeleteTbh... just let Michael Oliver ref the rest of the tournament :)
ReplyDeleteCome on! Oliver is like an old aunt sometimes like in CAN-MOR he burns the cake!
DeleteI love Oliver but for me it felt he was ill prepared CAN-MOR not sure if it is right word that is too harsh but you understand my feeling but got better as the game went on
DeleteHow terrible VAR decision!!! The defender reached the ball before contact!
ReplyDeleteBtw there has been a foul by Brasil already in the build up… VAR room is in trouble…
Watching a different game?
Deletehttps://x.com/11tial/status/2073863684766515262?s=46
DeleteWatch the clip from @RefNewgen, that was the clearest angle
DeleteSlight ball first but then clearly player. Blatant foul missed for Norway before it.
DeleteELFATH doing Elfath things...
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think about the possible Foul before the PK? I think Guzman should have shown him the Situation at least.
ReplyDeleteNot clear and obvious. Guzman hasn’t been very good on VAR
Deletehas been**
DeleteCunha is one to dive quite often so can understand referee's thinking twice when he goes down.....but still should be given on-field.
ReplyDeleteNo Well done VAR and unacceptable Eflath. I think there was also a foul in build up, she should've checked the whole thing. At least he missed so it wont matter
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be shocked to see Guzman as VAR on the final. She's been strongly supported on the Germany call and this was clearly correct
ReplyDeleteAlmost each game i watch on this WC is a catastrophic. Colina and Infantino must understand.m, as many more cameras and technology you put, as better your referees must so they dont look like clowns. 🤡 most of the referees here are not for professional football neither are they for World Cup!
ReplyDelete1.There was a foul on the Norway player before the penalty incident.
ReplyDelete2.You should have awarded one of the clearest penalties in the world during live play.
3.Even after reviewing it on VAR, you forgot to issue the yellow card
A reminder that cards are downgraded when PKs are awarded. A red while attempting to play the ball is yellow and a yellow is not given for. UC.
DeleteWhich is a stupid rule as you can potentially harm a player a lot and "only" give the penalty away anyways.
DeleteUnless the challenge is deemed reckless then a YC may follow. This was a clear attempt to play the ball and in the careless category
DeleteThis is %100 Yellow Card
DeleteThis is reckless and this is not downgraded.
DeleteGuys, yes technically but have you been watching this World Cup? Have you not noticed that literally cards have not been handed out at all during the whole tournament?
DeleteYou shouldn’t be surprised that no card was given and that the FIFA committee don’t consider this a reckless challenge at this tournament.
That IS not a pen, thankfully missed
ReplyDeleteNo need for YC, careless trip only
ReplyDeleteGood no PK call on 24'
ReplyDelete,+1
DeleteIn VAR era refs rarely whistle PK on the pitch. I have the feeling as they wait VAR to call them if it’s penalty. That shows how many mistakes they had before VAR. This situation was so obvious that this is really big mistake from Elfath. He was weak in this WC and he is still there only because he is home referee. And probably he would get SF or something like that, but he didn’t deserve it.
ReplyDeleteHe had a better sprint at 24'.
ReplyDeleteI looks like it's going to be much easier today as the teams are not very interested in tackling.
ReplyDeleteThis match will change dramatically on the first goal. That does not mean i agree that neither team is interested in tackling.
DeleteYou must say that both teams are not interested in the physical battle or the dark arts that we saw in the PARvFRA game. I wouldn’t say interested in tackling, some have already happened.
DeleteSo I will jump to the conclusion the American Elfath is not in the run in for the final by now it's a shame it would have been a fairytale
ReplyDeleteGiven the final
DeleteIs in New York. It’s highly likely the USA will be out. And when u add that Donald J seems to have got balogun off his one match suspension. Infantino will want a local boy and local bar on the game
Did Donald J. get Cristiano Ronaldo off his two game suspension as well? I don't think so. FIFA just wants the players the crowds to see the players they paid to see. The crowds in general don't care about the minutiae of what we are talking about here. They just want to see the best games.
Delete+1
DeleteYou definitely underplay the role of politics at this tournament. If CR was from USA then definitely a call would have been made. It has been widely reported that Trump has made a call to the FIFA president over the incident.
DeleteRonaldo literally went with FIFA and had dinner with Trump and was in the oval office... You think it was a coincidence?
DeleteFeels like 1934
DeleteGood patience on that highboot ‘39 waiting for possible advantage that did not materialize.
ReplyDeleteGood spot by the ref to wave play on 40 ' for a scoring opportunity
ReplyDeleteI still think Elfath has the soft skills to get a SF/Final but he just doesn't seem to have the explosive movement needed since his injury.
ReplyDeleteElfath +1 , VAR -100
ReplyDeletehttps://x.com/11tial/status/2073863684766515262?s=46
It's an interesting clip. In the past we'd argue still a foul because the attacker could still play it, but any touch on the ball seems to be the new standard for no foul in the penalty area.
DeleteElfath gave a goal kick so he was absolutely wrong as well...
DeleteDefinitely still a clear penalty. He barely touched the ball and he certainly didn't play it..
DeleteSo if one touch the ball, he could break the leg??? Come on guys!
DeleteIf you look at the clip from broadcast and the clip he was shown, there was no clear contact on the ball. (Check the clip in this thread from @RefNewGen
DeleteBoring game... not much to control...
ReplyDeleteBad WC in terms of making our beloved game turn into NFL or NBA,making it into 4 quarters with commercial breaks.
ReplyDeleteOfficiating has been dreadful and not at good level for sure.
We needed to make progress with VAR and all that technology.
Too many steps backwards.
Yep,no clear yc for spa.
ReplyDeleteAll things considered it's been a fairly positive half from Elfath in a football focussed game. Yes he got the KMI wrong and that was down to square positioning and being caught straight behind the incident. His movement and positioning have varied from being fluid and dynamic to being stiff and laborious but movement is certainly an improvement from previous games. Foul detection and consistency (Missed PK aside) have been good and has displayed good use of body language throughout when interacting. It is very clear he's not at 100% physically and it would be curious just how good and effective e really could be if he was.
ReplyDeleteHe only has one significant decision to make in the first half, otherwise it’s a complete non-event, and he gets that one wrong. So no, I wouldn’t call that a “positive” performance.
DeleteHard to assess the half as positive when he got a KMI wrong and in terms of difficulty of the match, you have to say it hasn’t had the intensity, the physicality or the need for strong player management skills to control the game. This also needs to be taken into consideration when assessing his performance.
DeleteHe also hasn’t many challenges that are difficult to assess in terms of foul recognition or the need to consider disciplinary action. Not to say that he has done poorly or has been a disaster but important to look at the context of the game when assessing his technical performance.
Easy game ,unlike last night a lot of respect amongest the players for each other
ReplyDeleteA poor performance by Al-Fateh: a clear penalty that didn't even warrant a VAR check, and abysmal positioning.
ReplyDeleteHow can a referee this bad officiate the final match?
https://x.com/11tial/status/2073863684766515262?s=46
DeleteYou mean Elfath?
DeleteHalf time, overall good performance by the American Elfath only one key incident missed (PK) I guess he missed because of the high bar for fouls yet on this occasion the defender didn't touch the ball
ReplyDeleteWhere I come from getting 1 wrong call is not that bad in 45+'
49:20 – A clear missed caution for a tactical foul by Brazil. The referee blew for the foul, hesitated, and then allowed play to restart quickly. Had he reacted faster and shown the yellow card immediately, the opportunity for a quick free kick would never have arisen.
ReplyDeleteOverall, an okay first half in terms of foul recognition, but he missed a clear penalty that, in my opinion, he did not have the courage to award because of poor positioning. He lacked the right angle to clearly assess the incident and instead seemed to leave the decision to the VAR. His overall refereeing felt hesitant and lacked rhythm. He spoke to players at the wrong moments on several occasions and seemed to lack a natural feel for the flow and management of the game.
When I saw that incident my first thought was what Clattenburg did in Olympics. I think maybe Mexico Brazil was the match?
DeleteI believe Elfath has lacked authority since his last match. That was a clear penalty that should have been called on the spot, rather than waiting five minutes for a VAR decision. Then there was that clear foul on Vinicius in stoppage time (45+5) that wasn't called. He’s been watching plays from too far away. He’s lucky that both teams want to play football and aren't trying to make his life difficult; perhaps that—along with the fact that he’s the "home" referee—is why he’s staying in the tournament, despite performances that have been far from convincing.
ReplyDeleteOn Dutch TV, just showed defender touched the ball prior to "fouling" Cunha for penalty, and it should never have been a penalty.....
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/j_campbell_88/status/2073863507817230690
DeleteThe touch on the ball is only marginal, so saying that he clearly plays the ball first is misleading and, in my opinion, not defensible. The player is responsible for controlling his body and clearly makes contact with the opponent, bringing him down. A careless sliding challenge, a clear penalty.
DeleteEven on our broadcast there was a zoom in and the touch was there
DeleteElfath wasn't shown all the angles by VAR. In fact I believe he was only shown one angle which didn't show the touch
DeleteLet’s not get too focused on a slight touch on the ball. Just because the DEF made a slight touch on the ball doesn’t mean it wasn’t a foul.
DeleteWe have moved away from intent to play the ball, to the actual result on the player from challenges. Even if we consider this outdated mentality, a slight touch on the ball is not enough to consider it enough to play the ball.
Pen in real time and Pen on VAR correct.
I got the ball first! Not a defense against a foul decision.
ReplyDelete+1
Delete@dd But in the modern game any touch has been viewed as enough to say no foul if theres not a secondary movement.
ReplyDeleteI don’t agree. That principle applies when the defender clearly wins the ball first and the subsequent contact is simply an unavoidable consequence of the challenge. Here, the touch on the ball is only marginal and doesn’t justify the way he goes through the opponent. The contact with the opponent is what actually brings him down, so I don’t think the challenge is defensible just because there was a slight touch on the ball.
DeleteWhile touching the ball doesn't automatically excuse a dangerous challenge, television replays showed that Ajer's sliding intervention was a standard, calculated attempt to dispossess the attacker. Because he successfully altered the trajectory of the ball prior to the unavoidable physical collision with Cunha, it did not meet the IFAB threshold for a careless or reckless foul.
DeleteSo VAR intervention was wrong you suggest?
DeleteI don't think the key issue is simply whether he touched the ball first. The touch on the ball is very slight and doesn't meaningfully change the situation. What matters is that he then makes clear, avoidable contact with Cunha, causing the trip. Getting a minimal touch on the ball does not automatically make the subsequent challenge legal. The quality of the ball contact is important, and in my view it is far too insignificant to justify or excuse the body contact. That makes the challenge careless and, therefore, a penalty.
DeleteI think this will simply be one of those situations where we'll have to agree to disagree. It seems to be a real dividing line, and I can respect that people see it differently.
Apparently VAR only showed one camera angle for review. As a result the defender’s touch was not visible, and not considered by the ref.
DeleteRegarding the question as to whether the VAR intervention was wrong - VAR is only supposed to intervene if the on-field referee makes a "clear and obvious error." Because the video assistant referee failed to spot or provide the definitive angle showing Ajer's touch on the ball, they mistakenly led Elfath to believe the defender entirely missed the ball and only tripped Cunha. Had the referee seen that Ajer successfully made a legitimate challenge on the ball first without executing a careless or reckless follow-through, his original on-field decision to play on would have stood as correct.
DeleteSo much you app who are saying that the orange despot isn’t the one pulling the strings.
ReplyDelete“ Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the game asking FIFA review the red card, according to a person familiar with the call who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.”
This tournament started off mired in controversy. Continues to be mired in controversy. And will forever be known as the most controversial World Cup in history. Both on and off the pitch.
This referee was many people's pick to officiate the final? HOW?
ReplyDeleteIf you saw him in 2022 you'd see it. He might have gotten that final if not for Morocco. Hes not the same guy post injury.
DeleteOn the other hand, Elfath managed to establish a positive connection with the players, admittedly helped by the calm atmosphere, which was light-years away from the Paraguayan brutality we saw yesterday.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair. Other than the PK he has been solid. Decision making is fine. Positioning erratic keeps running ahead of play and having to look over his shoulder at play behind him. Players getting on with the game and he’s generally settled
DeleteIn the background
Agree but very very easy one…
DeleteAt the same time, I think it’s a bit unfair to compare it with yesterday’s performance, which may have been one of the worst we’ve seen in a very long time. The bar should be higher, and we should be comparing this referee—considered by many to be a final candidate—with the other top referees in the tournament.
DeleteElfath also has the benefit of being a quite imposing presence with his size to keep some calm if it comes up
DeleteHe's not as big as Haaland, but Haaland is the only one one the field bigger
DeleteFair play to Elfath, after that really poor call early in the game he's been solid
ReplyDeleteWell,solid perofrmance by Elfath,in mostly football focused game. Thing that I like in his perofmance is confidence, either he is right or fault. On the other hand, obvious mistake corrected by VAR, other things were morre-less correct. Did I see him in final as referee-NO. But if they appoint him there, what I repeat dont expect, there obviously will be good officiating reasons for that. But lets wait tonight match and four matches to follow in round of 16, we will speak furhter!
ReplyDeleteWell it seems the instructions for mass confrontations is just to split it up and administer no sanctions....
ReplyDeleteVinicous behaviour with AR deserve a YC imo
ReplyDeleteAgree.
DeleteReserve AR getting in the middle of it there
ReplyDeleteI love seeing that lol
DeleteWell done to AR1 and reserve AR for minimising that confrontation, Elfath just strolling over. Showed more urgency for the correct YC he gave.
ReplyDeleteI think last match for Elfath who had finished his WC well. Solid performance. But shameful attitude from Vinicius to assistant referee. No card is unacceptable !
ReplyDeleteNo way. Remember he's from host country and politics is strong in this world cup.
DeletePenalty for arm in the face. A good call for me
ReplyDeleteVery good penalty spotted there
ReplyDeleteNo card, but showing elbow in the face
ReplyDeleteAn excellent decision to award a penalty—well done.
ReplyDeleteIf that’s a penalty, football’s dead. Ostigaard did no extra movement, just jumped. Luckily, useless penalty. Would have been crazy otherwise…
ReplyDeleteCorrect pen
ReplyDeleteClip 90+6' YC:
ReplyDeletehttps://streamable.com/90xvlg
Full-Sequence 90+8' (PEN):
Deletehttps://streamable.com/8p67zn
Agree but where is the card for elbow in the face ?
ReplyDelete+1 missed YC
DeleteIf that’s not straight red for Neymar, should be 2YC for the push causing the confrontation.
ReplyDeleteRidiculous ghost penalty
ReplyDeleteFFS - stop using the term "ghost" to describe any decision you disagree with. You can see the arm in the face. If you don't agree with it being a foul fair enough but describing it as a "ghost penalty" is laughable and lends you no credibility
Delete@Ecosse completely agree
DeleteWell spotted penalty, very good decision.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who says thats a penalty hasn't played football
ReplyDeleteGood call for PK
ReplyDeleteSorry but there isn’t any reason to continue the match after the goal…
ReplyDeleteBall placement incorrect? Not overhanging the center of the spot?
ReplyDeletelooked incorrect indeed, should have been corrected
Delete12 mins on the 7 min added time is a joke. The penalty was after the initial 7 mins.
ReplyDeleteOverall a very unconvincing performance for Elfath… was a very easy game, the first penalty was crystal clear.. I hope for the sake of football that his tournament is over
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteFirst penalty is obviously not crystal clear since he clearly touched the ball first. It's an appropriate call, but never crystal clear.
DeleteEasy game for Elfath and was fine after the missed PK at the start. Lost control at the end but comes with frustration…probably end of the tournament for him
ReplyDeleteHopefully
DeleteFull time overall good performance from the American Elfath, the second half was much easier than the first half
ReplyDeleteEasy game to referee until Neymar came on ,He deserved to be red carded after the YC for causing a confrontation ,but also the way he confronted the goalkeeper after he scored.
ReplyDeleteThe YC should have been red actually.
DeleteSo this ref found an extra 4 minutes and 30 seconds, but not a single second added on in Argentina vs Cape Verde
ReplyDelete+1 I wonder 🤔
DeleteCongrats to Elfath for leaving the centre circle at least twice! Well done. Sorry folks, but the refereeing at this WC has been reduced to a laughing stock with (almost) no application of IFAB rules.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteWith the amount of politics by FIFA and host country USA going on in this tournament, plus the disregard for the RoP and performance principles by Collina and co, it would be naive to think this is Elfath's final game. In fact, he's very much still on course to do the final.
ReplyDeleteI think its Ramos TBH.
DeleteWhat a match we got to witness—outstanding football entertainment from start to finish.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the overall performance, he should have identified the first penalty himself instead of relying on VAR. He also missed a clear tactical foul in the first half that should have resulted in a yellow card. Apart from that, his decision-making was generally acceptable, and he managed to stay under the radar.
In the second half, he settled into the game and had everything under control until the final 15 minutes. He correctly awarded the penalty live, but missed the mandatory caution for the careless arm to the face. In the mass confrontation at the end, he chose not to issue any cautions, just as we’ve seen several other referees do throughout this tournament, seemingly in line with the current approach or instructions. There was also room for improvement in his management of the added time.
Overall, FIFA will be satisfied. The referee won’t be the talking point, and the focus will remain on the football. From a refereeing perspective, though, there was more to be desired, and compared with the other top referees at this World Cup, it wasn’t a performance that strengthened his case for further matches in the tournement.
2nd penalty marginally supportable. But we’ve seen worse go unpunished. Mass confrontation was a shambles. AR1 clearly upset B7 with manhandling 4th official also in there. When game was going his way he looked settled. Yet when questions were asked and decisions required he was found wanting.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of those that gets called at 2-0 and not 1-0.
Delete