SEATTLE — The World Cup quarterfinals kick off on Thursday, July 9 with a matchup between France and Morocco at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
In the build-up to the game, some eyebrows were raised when FIFA confirmed that the officiating crew would all be Argentine.
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Typically the referee and his two assistants are from the same country but for the first time at this World Cup, all five officials are from the same country, including the fourth official and the reserve assistant referee.
With France and Argentina both among the favorites to meet in the final, France reserve goalkeeper Robin Risser said ahead of the game that fans shouldn’t worry about bias from the Argentine officials.
“We must not become paranoid,” Risser said. “If these referees are involved, it’s because they are up to the level of the competition.”
Facundo Tello will take charge of the match between France and Morocco, with support from assistants Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade.
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This will be the third game of this World Cup for Tello, who has also taken charge of group-stage matches between Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as South Africa and South Korea.
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Referee: Facundo Tello (Argentina)
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Assistant Referee 1: Juan Pablo Belatti (Argentina)
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Assistant Referee 2: Gabriel Chade (Argentina)
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Fourth Official: Dario Herrera (Argentina)
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Reserve Assistant Referee: Cristian Navarro (Argentina)
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VAR: TBA
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Assistant VAR: TBA
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Support VAR: TBA
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is referee for France vs Morocco in World Cup quarterfinal?
