[Saba Sports News] British media outlets report that English referee Michael Oliver has been confirmed to miss out on officiating the World Cup final, with Argentine match official Facundo Tello also ruled out of contention. Sources state FIFA prohibits English referees from taking charge of any fixtures featuring Argentina. This means Oliver cannot oversee the final even if England fails to qualify for it. Oliver’s officiating performances throughout the tournament have left FIFA’s refereeing chiefs deeply impressed, yet he is ineligible for the final given that either England or Argentina will reach the title decider. It is standard practice for referees to avoid matches involving their home nation. Beyond this general rule, FIFA has maintained a long-standing policy born from persistent diplomatic tensions between England and Argentina over the Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute: English officials are not assigned to Argentina’s games, and the restriction applies the other way around. This identical regulation bars Facundo Tello from refereeing the final as well.
The editor believes that the same rule also kept Anthony Taylor from officiating the 2022 World Cup final between France and Argentina. Taylor has also been selected as a match official for this tournament. Among all English referees, however, Michael Oliver was previously widely tipped as the favourite to take charge of the final.