FIFA have appointed American referee Ismail Elfath to officiate Wednesday’s Intercontinental Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Flamengo in Qatar — a choice that has raised eyebrows given his background and relatively limited experience at the highest international level.
Born in Casablanca, Morocco, the 43-year-old Elfath represents the United States as an international referee and has spent the vast majority of his career officiating in Major League Soccer. His appointment to oversee a final between a European and a South American giant comes as something of a surprise.
A referee shaped by MLS
Ismail Elfath has refereed 234 MLS matches, including regular-season games and playoffs. His most notable assignment came in the 2022 MLS Cup final, where Los Angeles FC defeated the Philadelphia Union, a match remembered for Gareth Bale’s dramatic late equalizer.
While he has established himself domestically, Elfath does not carry the same résumé on the European or South American stage as many referees typically assigned to a FIFA final.
World Cup experience, limited exposure
Elfath was part of the officiating group at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he refereed three matches, including the Round of 16 clash between Japan and Croatia. His first match at the tournament — Portugal vs Ghana (3–2) — drew controversy after he awarded a penalty to Cristiano Ronaldo without consulting VAR, prompting complaints from the Ghanaian federation.
A light refereeing year in 2025
In 2025, Elfath has officiated just eight matches, a relatively low total. However, this can be explained by a special assignment given to him earlier this year. In March, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) tasked him with conducting an in-depth evaluation of Morocco’s national refereeing system and proposing reforms and improvements.
More recently, Elfath has refereed two matches at the Arab Cup, currently being held in Qatar, whose final will pit Jordan against Morocco later this week.
No PSG history, but a past Flamengo assignment
As expected, Elfath has never officiated a Champions League match and has never refereed PSG in his career. He has, however, crossed paths with Flamengo once before — during the 2019 Club World Cup (the previous format).
On that occasion, Flamengo defeated Al-Hilal 3–1 in the semifinals, with goals from Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Bruno Henrique, both of whom are expected to feature again against PSG on Wednesday.