FIFA decided to assign an all-Argentine refereeing crew to France’s World Cup quarterfinal against Morocco, and the French team’s reaction is basically a shrug. Facundo Tello, a 44-year-old referee from Argentina, will be the man in the middle at Boston Stadium on Wednesday night. It’s the first time in this tournament that every match official on the field comes from the same country.
Given the history here, you’d understand if France had something to say about it. Argentina beat Les Bleus on penalties in the 2022 World Cup final. That loss still stings. And now the governing body of world soccer hands the whistle to a guy who shares a passport with the team that took the trophy from them. It’s not a great look on paper.
But the French squad isn’t biting.
Upamecano and Risser aren’t bothered
Dayot Upamecano, France’s center-back, basically told reporters he doesn’t care who the referee is. “I’m not going to focus on who the referee will be,” Upamecano said. “We’ve never done that before, we’re going to focus on Morocco.” That’s it. No conspiracy theories. No passive-aggressive digs.
Robin Risser, France’s third-choice goalkeeper, backed him up. Risser acknowledged the tension from the last final — “There’s been a certain bitterness for a few years now since the last final,” he said — but he made it clear that dwelling on it would be a mistake. “That’s part of the game. If these referees are there, it’s because they’re up to the level of the competition.”
Why FIFA’s choice feels loaded
It’s not just the 2022 final that makes this appointment feel like a strange call. Argentina and France have developed a real rivalry over the last few years, with plenty of chatter between fans and former players on both sides. On top of that, Argentina is still alive in this tournament. So you’ve got a match official from a country that could face France later in the knockout rounds. FIFA insists there’s no conflict of interest, but it’s the kind of thing that gets people talking at the bar.
France, though, seems to have decided that getting paranoid about the officiating is a waste of energy. They’ve got Morocco in front of them. That’s a dangerous team. And they’d rather spend their mental energy on the actual game than on who’s wearing the badge.
Whatever happens Wednesday night, the French players have already made one thing clear: they won’t blame the ref if things go wrong. Whether the internet agrees is a whole other story.
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