France dismiss concerns over all-Argentine refereeing team

FOXBOROUGH: France have dismissed concerns over the appointment of an all-Argentine refereeing team for their FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Morocco, insisting their focus remains solely on the challenge posed by the Atlas Lions.

For the first time at this tournament, all five match officials for a fixture are from the same country.

Experienced Argentine referee Facundo Tello will oversee Thursday's encounter, assisted by Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade, while Dario Herrera will serve as fourth official and Cristian Navarro as reserve assistant referee.

The appointments have fuelled debate on social media due to the growing rivalry between France and Argentina, who have contested the last two World Cup finals.

With fans raising concerns over the appointment and pointing to the long-standing rivalry between France and Argentina. Many questioned whether having an all-Argentine officiating team for the match was appropriate. 

France defeated Argentina 4-3 in a memorable last-16 clash at the 2018 tournament before lifting the trophy, while Argentina gained revenge by winning the dramatic 2022 final on penalties after a 3-3 draw.

Relations between the nations were further strained following the 2024 Copa America final, when Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez apologised after sharing a video containing an offensive chant targeting France players of African descent.

The incident prompted the French Football Federation to lodge a complaint with FIFA, although Fernandez later apologised publicly and donated to an anti-discrimination charity.

Despite the history between the two countries, France defender Dayot Upamecano dismissed suggestions that the officials' nationality would affect preparations.

“I’m not going to focus on who the referee will be,” said Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano. “We’ve never done that before; we’re going to focus on Morocco.”

France’s third-choice goalkeeper Robin Risser struck a similar tone. “We mustn’t fall into paranoia,” he said.

“There’s been a certain bitterness for a few years now since the last final, but that’s part of the game. If these referees are there, it’s because they’re up to the level of the competition.”