The Longhorn on the World Cup Stage

Over the past month there’s been lots of talk of red and yellow cards. But what about some burnt orange? This afternoon, alumnus Ismail Elfath will officiate the high stakes England vs. Argentina World Cup semi-final game.

A Cockrell School of Engineering grad, Elfath was a member of the UT club soccer team while on campus, and began his journey as a referee. After his time on the Forty Acres, he continued playing soccer in local leagues and began officiating recreational and youth leagues around Austin. In 2022, Elfath served as the fourth official in the World Cup Final in Qatar between Argentina and France.

Today will be his fourth match of the 2026 World Cup, after officiating matches in both the group stages and the round of 16. This year is a historic one for U.S. Soccer referees, with eight total serving in this year’s tournament. Elfath’s two assistant referees for the match are also both American.

In an interview with U.S. Soccer earlier in the tournament, he spoke on how glad he is to be returning to officiate the World Cup this year.

“It was a dream come true – again,” he said. “I already had an amazing experience in Qatar in 2022, but after being 13 months with a double knee surgery, which took me very close to retirement, this second World Cup is so much sweeter.”

A post shared by The University of Texas at Austin (@utaustintx)