Controversy is never too far away from referees - and especially at the World Cup. Phantom goals, attacking moves continuing after balls have gone out of play, mysterious ‘Hands of God’, refs not realizing they’ve booked the same player three times... The latest scandal centers around the appointment of an all-Argentine officiating crew for the quarterfinal between France and Morocco. FIFA’s decision has raised the question of impartiality, with Argentina being one of the other quarterfinalists.

FIFA have assigned match official Facundo Tello to referee the first quarterfinal between France and Morocco at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on July 9.

Who are the officials for the France vs Morocco game?

Tello will be assisted by Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade. Dario Herrera will serve as the fourth official and Cristian Navarro as the Reserve Assistant referee.

Who is Facundo Tello?

Tello was born in Bahía Blanca, Argentina on May 4, 1982. He made his top flight debut in the Week 14 Clausura game between Godoy Cruz and Vélez Sarsfield in May 2013 - a fortnight after overseeing the sixth round Copa Argentina tie between Estudiantes and CA Tucumán.

He has been a FIFA international referee since 2019 and has officiated in 13 finals, including the Copa Argentina 2019, Copa Libertadores 2024 and Recopa Sudamericana 2024.

He made his World Cup debut at Qatar 2022, overseeing the Group G game between Switzerland and Cameroon. He was also assigned the group game between South Korea and Portugal as well as the quarter final between Morocco and Portugal.

At the current tournament, Tello reffed two group games: Canada vs Bosnia-Herzegovina and South Africa vs South Korea.

Has Tello ever been involved in controversy?

The 44-year-old made the headlines for dishing out 10 red cards in the 2019 Trofeo de Campeones clash between Boca Juniors and Racing - sending off seven Boca players, three Racing players and just for good measure, Boca coach Hugo Ibarra.

At Euro 2024, he angered Scotland manager Steve Clarke when he waved away a penalty appeal that cost his team the match: “100% penalty. European competition, maybe better to have a European referee”.

Tello has a reputation for reaching for his top pocket. At Qatar 2022, he issued eight yellows in three games, including one to South Korea’s Hee-chan Hwang for taking his shirt off and sent off Morocco’s Walid Cheddira for a second booking.

At the current World Cup the Argentinean has shown seven yellow cards in both of the matches he has officiated so far but hasn’t sent anyone off or blown for a penalty.

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.