From Qatar final to Kansas opener: Marciniak to officiate Argentina | OneFootball

FIFA confirmed that Polish referee Szymon Marciniak will be in charge of officiating Argentina’s debut at the 2026 World Cup, scheduled for Tuesday night against Algeria. It is an appointment with strong historical weight, as he is the same referee who oversaw the unforgettable 2022 World Cup final in Qatar between the Albiceleste and France.

The officiating team will be completed by Polish assistants Tomasz Listkiewicz and Adam Kupsik, while Australia’s Campbell-Kirk Kawana Waugh will serve as fourth official and his compatriot Isaac Trevis will be the reserve assistant.

The most recent and glorious precedent with Marciniak dates back to that heart-stopping final in Lusail, which ended 3-3 and was decided in favor of Lionel Scaloni’s side on penalties thanks to the stellar performance of Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez. In that historic match, the 45-year-old referee played a central role by awarding three penalties in total: one for Argentina in the first half and two for France, split between the second half and extra time.

However, this is not the European referee’s only encounter with the national team at World Cups. Marciniak was also present in the failed debut at Russia 2018, when Jorge Sampaoli’s team drew 1-1 with Iceland in a match remembered for the penalty that the opposing goalkeeper saved from Lionel Messi. Four years later, he crossed paths with Argentina again in the round of 16 at Qatar 2022, in the 2-1 win over Australia that turned into a real last-minute ordeal after the Oceania side pulled one back through a Lisandro Martínez own goal.

The reunion between the Scaloneta and the referee of the third star will take place this Tuesday at 22:00 (Argentina time), when the world champions begin the defense of their title against Algeria at the imposing Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.