Experienced referee, Anthony Taylor has been banned from officiating the World Cup final due to his nationality.
France will face Argentina on Sunday in the 2022 World Cup final in the Lusail stadium. The match will be officiated by a polish referee named Szymon Marciniak.
According to a report in The Times, referee Anthony Taylor was not considered because of ‘concerns over an English ref officiating an Argentina game’.
England and Argentina have had a frayed relationship due to the Falklands War in 1982. There was controversy earlier in the week when video emerged of the Argentina players celebrating their 3-0 victory over Croatia.
The players could be heard singing anti-English songs and referencing the war.
FIFA believed that selecting Taylor could rile the Argentina support and dilute the neutrality of the game.
What do you think about this decision?
Just proves FIFA and world football is all political and actual goodwill sports is no longer the main objective of the body ..
To be honest most British football fans would want to see Messi lift the cup !
It’s not an ideal final as don’t like either team ! But Messi has been the best player in the world for a long time and a world cup win would crown his career.
Totally lame excuse not to let a brit referee the final.
Good one From Fifa they have really did well
That’s not the real reason at all! Jesus in this day and age do they really believe that a British ref would hold that against a them???!!!