Referees from four countries ruled out of officiating the remaining World Cup matches. What's the reason?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals are just around the corner, followed by the third-place play-off and the final. However, for many referees, the tournament has already come to an end.

Details: According to L'Équipe, FIFA has ruled out French referees François Letexier and Clément Turpin from officiating any of the remaining matches. They are not the only officials whose World Cup duties have concluded.

FIFA has also removed referees from countries that are still represented in the tournament—England, Spain and Argentina—from consideration for the remaining fixtures. The move is designed to eliminate any potential conflict of interest during the semi-finals, the third-place play-off and the final.

Reminder: From five penalties awarded in Qatar to complaints from Algeria and Egypt, as well as Breel Embolo's unprecedented second yellow card, we have rounded up the most controversial moments from the 2022 and 2026 World Cups, all of which appeared to favour La Albiceleste.