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Oliver and Taylor ruled out of World Cup final as England reach semis

Priya Sharma3 min read
Oliver and Taylor ruled out of World Cup final as England reach semis

England have booked their place in the World Cup semi-final after edging past Norway 2-1 in extra time, but the last-eight victory has also brought the tournament to a premature end for two Premier League referees. Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor, the only English officials at the finals, are now barred from taking charge of the final under FIFA’s rules on conflicts of interest.

Thomas Tuchel’s side needed the extra 30 minutes to see off a stubborn Norway in their quarter-final, with Jude Bellingham once again central to the victory as his outstanding summer continued. Harry Kane, by contrast, endured a quieter afternoon in an England shirt that was short on his usual sharpness in front of goal.

Argentina also progressed on the same day, beating Switzerland 3-1 after extra time thanks in part to a wonder goal, setting up a mouth-watering semi-final against England that revives one of football’s oldest rivalries.

Read more: England to face Argentina in World Cup semi-final after Alvarez wondergoal sinks Switzerland

Why Oliver and Taylor are out of the running

FIFA regulations prevent a referee from officiating any match involving their home nation, which already ruled Oliver and Taylor out of taking charge of an England fixture. With England now facing Argentina in the last four, neither man can be appointed to that game either.

The bigger surprise is that the pair are also ineligible for the other semi-final, between France and Spain, because the outcome has a direct bearing on who England could meet in the final. Crucially, even if Argentina were to knock England out, Oliver and Taylor would still be unable to take charge of the showpiece match.

That is because FIFA also factors in politically sensitive rivalries when appointing officials, and English referees are not assigned to Argentina fixtures as a result of the 1982 Falklands War. A FIFA spokesperson has previously confirmed the conflict is among the considerations taken into account, a policy that also saw Taylor and Oliver excluded from the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar once Argentina reached the showpiece.

Bellingham’s summer rolls on

On the pitch, England’s progress owed much to Bellingham, whose influence in midfield has been a constant theme of the tournament so far. His display against Norway was widely rated among the standout performances of the quarter-final, continuing a run of form that has made him arguably the player of the summer.

Kane’s afternoon was a rare blip by comparison, with the captain unable to find his usual rhythm in front of goal despite England eventually getting over the line. Tuchel will hope for a return to form from his striker before the semi-final against an Argentina side full of confidence after their own extra-time win.

With the draw now set and the refereeing picture clarified, attention turns to who FIFA will appoint for the England-Argentina semi-final, given two of the tournament’s most experienced English officials are unavailable for the remainder of the competition.

Sources

  • WalesOnline
  • Sky Sports

This is an independent report written from the facts across the sources named above.

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