Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, the man who presided over one of the greatest World Cup finals in history, has been appointed to officiate Argentina’s opening Group J fixture against Algeria in Kansas City on 17 June 2026.
Marciniak, 45, is widely regarded as one of the finest referees in world football. His most notable assignment came at the 2022 World Cup final in Lusail, where Argentina defeated France on penalties following a dramatic 3-3 draw after extra time. The Pole handled the occasion with authority, correctly identifying a Marcus Thuram dive that millions watching around the world initially mistook for a foul, and showing seven yellow cards across a match widely considered among the greatest finals ever played.
This will be Marciniak’s third World Cup. He refereed two matches at the 2018 edition, including Argentina’s group-stage draw with Iceland in Moscow, a game in which Messi missed a penalty and the referee issued no cards. At the 2022 tournament, he took charge of three matches, among them Argentina’s round of 16 victory over Australia, which ended 2-1.
Beyond the World Cup, Marciniak has built an outstanding record at the highest level. He officiated the 2018 UEFA Super Cup between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid and the 2023 UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan, a contest that passed without major controversy. He also served as fourth official at the UEFA Euro 2024 final between Spain and England.
A FIFA-listed referee since 2011, Marciniak has taken charge of 712 matches across all competitions, issuing 2,894 yellow cards at an average of 4.06 per game and 161 red cards. He was named the world’s best referee for both 2022 and 2023 by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.
The match officials for Argentina vs Algeria are as follows: referee Szymon Marciniak, assistant referees Tomasz Listkiewicz and Adam Kupsik, fourth official Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh, and reserve assistant referee Isaac Trevis.
