Premier League refs dominated out of World Cup ultimate in main blow to England
Premier League referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor have been ruled out of the World Cup final after both England and Argentina progressed to the semi-finals, with FIFA citing geopolitical factors including the Falklands War
Michael Oliver’s World Cup journey is over(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA, Getty Images)
Premier League referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor have been sidelined from refereeing the World Cup final. This follows Sunday morning’s last-16 outcomes, which saw both England and Argentina advance to the semi-finals of the tournament.
Thomas Tuchel’s squad secured their place in the final four after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Norway in extra time. Lionel Messi’s Argentina also prevailed in extra time, defeating Switzerland 3-1.
However, with historic rivals England and Argentina still in the competition, Oliver and Taylor, as the only two English referees, will no longer participate in the World Cup. FIFA’s rules stipulate that a referee cannot officiate their home nation. This means the duo cannot preside over England vs Argentina, or if England make it to the final, reports the Express.
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Referees cannot be assigned to a match which directly affects their home country in the subsequent round – in this case the final – either, ruling them out of France vs Spain in the other semi-final. However, even if Argentina defeat England and end up facing the winner of France vs Spain, Taylor and Oliver cannot oversee the final.
This is due to the fact that English referees are effectively prohibited from officiating Argentina matches because of geopolitical considerations. FIFA takes into account politically sensitive situations and applies common sense when assigning referees for specific fixtures.
A FIFA spokesperson has already confirmed that the 1982 Falklands War is amongst the factors considered when selecting a referee. As a consequence, an English official is not allowed to oversee an Argentina match, nor a fixture that has a direct next-game implication for Argentina, and vice versa.
It was reported in 2022 that Taylor and Oliver were blocked from officiating the 2022 World Cup final due to Argentina’s involvement.
The Falklands War remains a politically sensitive topic, while conflicts stretching back as far as the Second World War are not taken into consideration. The war was also mentioned by Argentina players when they performed a song called ‘Muchachos’ in the changing room following their quarter-final victory over Egypt.
Consequently, neither of the seasoned Premier League referees will have any further role in the tournament, despite being initially regarded based on their displays.
Oliver has overseen four fixtures throughout the World Cup: Netherlands vs Sweden, Norway vs France, Canada vs Morocco and the quarter-final clash, Spain vs Belgium. During the latter, Oliver endured an uncomfortable moment as he accidentally blocked Dani Olmo during a Spain attack, after which he apologised and halted play.
Nevertheless, Oliver had been amongst the favourites to referee the final had both Argentina and England been knocked out. Taylor, meanwhile, officiated Uzbekistan vs Colombia, Senegal vs Iraq and Portugal vs Spain in the last-16.
