2026 World Cup: Tardelli Slams Referee Elfath: “It’s a disgrace”

There was no shortage of controversy at Rai during the 2026 World Cup semifinal between England and Argentina. The debate was ignited during halftime by the remarks of Marco Tardelli, who was extremely critical of the refereeing after a start to the match marked by numerous fouls.

The former 1982 World Cup champion openly criticized the decisions of the referee, American Ismail Elfath, calling the standard applied in the opening minutes of the match incomprehensible. “It’s a disgrace,” Tardelli blurted out, commenting on several incidents involving Argentine players.

The decision to issue the first yellow card of the match was also particularly controversial. “It’s unbelievable that the first player to be booked was an Englishman,” Tardelli said, emphasizing that, in his opinion, it was the Argentines who had set the tone for the match with their highly aggressive play.

The former midfielder didn’t stop at criticizing the refereeing; he also pointed the finger at the Argentine national team’s attitude: “The Argentines started with a specific tactic—not just a physical one,” he said, suggesting that the South American team had sought from the very first minutes to disrupt their opponents’ rhythm through particularly rough play.