Online Desk 

Amid ongoing controversy over refereeing in Argentina's World Cup matches, FIFA has appointed American referee Ismail Elfath to officiate the highly anticipated semi-final between Argentina and England.

The match will be played on Wednesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Elfath will be assisted by fellow Americans Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins. Italy's Maurizio Mariani will serve as the fourth official, while Daniele Bindoni has been appointed reserve assistant referee.

The 44-year-old referee has already overseen three matches at this World Cup. He officiated the Netherlands vs Japan and Uruguay vs Spain group-stage fixtures before taking charge of the Brazil vs Norway Round of 16 match, where Norway secured a surprise 2-1 victory to reach the quarter-finals.

According to USA Today, Elfath was born in Morocco and moved to the United States in 2001 through the Diversity Visa Lottery program. He is currently based in Texas.

Elfath has been officiating in Major League Soccer (MLS) since 2012 and became a FIFA-listed international referee in 2016. He made his World Cup debut at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where he also served as the fourth official in the final between France and Argentina.

Regarded as one of North America's most experienced referees, Elfath has also officiated the 2022 MLS Cup Final and the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup Final. In addition, he has been named MLS Referee of the Year on two occasions.

Refereeing decisions in Argentina's Round of 16 victory over Egypt and quarter-final win against Switzerland drew criticism from their opponents. As a result, football fans and analysts are expected to closely watch Elfath's performance in the high-stakes semi-final against England.