England's last-16 tie against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday night will be handled by Alireza Faghani. The Australian official is 48 and is taking charge at his third FIFA World Cup this summer. It is a high-profile appointment, and it comes with a résumé that already includes some of football's biggest stages.
Faghani's tournament record
Faghani's World Cup history is not light on pressure. He took charge of France's 4-3 win over Argentina in the last-16 at the 2018 World Cup, then also handled England's defeat to Belgium in the third-place play-off. Those are the kind of matches that put a referee under the brightest light, and they explain why this appointment is being treated as more than a routine fixture note.
His wider record is just as strong. Other career highlights include refereeing the 2016 Olympic men's gold medal match and last year's Club World Cup final between Chelsea and PSG. For a referee, that is a pretty clear sign of trust from the game's top organisers.
The debate around his summer call
Faghani has also already drawn attention this summer after not giving France a penalty against Senegal, despite a VAR review showing contact on Kylian Mbappe. That decision is still open to argument, but it is not the same as saying the appointment itself is controversial or that it tilts the balance in England or Mexico's favour.
The only certainty here is the scale of the game. England have won 4 of their last 5 World Cup matches, while Mexico have won 4 of their last 5 as well. Both teams arrive in decent knockout form, and Faghani is the man in the middle for one of the tournament's more intriguing last-16 ties.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →