FIFA World Cup Decision Sparks Debate Before France vs Morocco: 'They Don't Hide It Anymore'
France and Morocco have a World Cup quarterfinal to play at Boston Stadium, but the buildup has been anything but straightforward. FIFA's decision on who gets to officiate the match has taken over the conversation, and it is not hard to see why.
Facundo Tello, a 44-year-old Argentine referee, has been assigned to take charge of the game. He will be joined by assistant referees Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade, with Dario Herrera as the fourth official and Cristian Navarro as the reserve assistant.
That makes Tello the first referee at this tournament to work with an all-Argentine crew, and given the history between Argentina and France on the international stage, the reaction was never going to be quiet.
FIFA has stood firm on its position, saying every official in the tournament was selected purely on merit.
FIFA's All-Argentine Crew for France vs Morocco Draws Fan Backlash
France have kept their heads down and stayed focused on Morocco. The players have not engaged with the noise. The fans, though, have had plenty to say. Social media lit up quickly once the assignment was made public.
The match officials for @FIFAWorldCup match 97 have been appointed.
— FIFA (@FIFAcom) July 7, 2026
"They don't hide it anymore," one fan wrote.
"All Argentina referees for a France match, FIFA trying everything to rig the World Cup for Argentina once again," Another was more direct.
Not everyone bought into the outrage. "Oh come on, so the French ref helped Argentina today? Doesn't make sense to me," one user pushed back.
"Won't be enough to stop this duo," one fan said, posting pictures of Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise.
"A full Argentinian delegation, you will never beat the allegations," another added.
Tello has only handled two matches at this World Cup, both in the group stage. That alone has added fuel to the debate.
This is not really a question of whether Tello is a capable referee. The bigger issue is why FIFA handed him this particular assignment when the optics were so easy to anticipate. The governing body has already dealt with accusations of favoring Argentina after Lionel Messi's side came back from two goals down to beat Egypt.
Those claims are based on perception and nothing more, but perception has a way of sticking. France know what is in front of them. Morocco in a quarterfinal is more than enough to focus on.
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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 11:23 AM.