The identities of the first two quarter finalists at World Cup 2026 will be revealed today - Paraguay and France meet at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia in the second of two Round of 16 ties on Saturday.

Making sure the game flows smoothly with as few issues as possible will be Ilgiz Tantashev, who has been assigned to oversee the game by FIFA.

This is Tantashev’s first World Cup - he is the only Uzbek referee selected for the 2026 World Cup, and one of eight from the Asian Football Confederation.

This evening’s game will be the third he has overseen at the tournament. He was in charge of the Group C game between Scotland and Brazil on June 19 as well as the Group J clash between Austria and Algeria on June 27.

Who are the officials for the Paraguay vs France game?

The Uzbek match official will be assisted by compatriots Andrey Tsapenko and Timur Gaynullin.

Abdulrahman Al-Jassim of Qatar has been named as the fourth official along with Taleb Al-Marri as the reserve assistant referee.

Who is Ilgiz Tantashev?

Tantashev was born in Bukhara, Uzbekistan on April 5, 1984, and bgan his career as a referee in his homeland in 2008. In October 2010, he made his debut in the O’zbekiston Superligasi, officiating the Week 24 game between Xorazm and Andijon.

He has also worked in in the Indian Super League and the Saudi Pro League.

Tantashev gained his FIFA badge in 2013 and was assigned numerous refereeing jobs within the AFC, including games in the 2019 and 2023 AFC Asian Cup tournaments.

Has Tantashev ever been involved in controversy?

The 42-year-old is known for his straightforward approach and likes to keep games moving with as little stoppages as possible. In 308 career games, he has dished out 1257 yellow cards - the majority of them in the Uzbekistan league, and sent off 33 players.

At the current World Cup, he has handed out just three bookings: Issa Diop (Morocco), Andy Robertson (Scotland) and Marko Arnautovic (Austria) - all for fouls. He has yet to award a penalty or send anyone off.

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