The Referee Who Has Never Seen Messi Lose

Ismail Elfath has refereed five matches involving Lionel Messi. Argentina have won all five. Last night, FIFA appointed Elfath to referee the World Cup semifinal between England and Argentina. Argentina won. Make that six.

Now — before you click away and call me a sore loser — hear me out. Because this isn't about last night. This isn't even really about England. This is about a pattern that has been building for six weeks and has finally become impossible to ignore.

Let's go back to the beginning of this tournament.

Argentina were losing. Argentina were struggling. And then the calls started going their way. Bottle after bottle was thrown at Cape Verde fans in the stands by Argentina supporters. FIFA opened an investigation. Into the fans. Not into the bottles. Not into the violence.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino was interviewed pitchside immediately after the match.

He caught himself. Tried to walk it back. The clip went viral in forty languages.

Egypt were 2-0 up. Sixty-five thousand people in that stadium watching one of the greatest World Cup upsets in history unfold in real time. Then a VAR review. A goal disallowed. A foul so marginal that the Egyptian Football Association filed a formal complaint to FIFA the following morning. Argentina scored three goals in thirteen minutes.

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan made the anti-racism gesture during the match — the official FIFA gesture, the one FIFA themselves created and mandated. He received a yellow card for it.

Switzerland equalised against Argentina in the 72nd minute. Forty seconds later, Breel Embolo received a second yellow card for simulation and was sent off. Switzerland played the remaining 28 minutes plus extra time with ten men. Argentina won 3-1.

England. 1-0 up. Anthony Gordon's goal, 55th minute, the whole country off their sofas. For the first time since 1966, we could actually smell it. Then Tuchel parked the bus. Six defenders. Six. Against Lionel Messi with 35 minutes to go.

We all knew what was coming. Every single person watching knew. And it came. 85th minute. 92nd minute. Same old England.

But here's what really got me. After the final whistle — before the players had even picked themselves up off the turf — an Argentina substitute ran to the corner of the pitch and unfurled a banner.

On a global broadcast. In front of millions of people. Aimed directly at England fans. FIFA's response? Complete silence.

Same FIFA whose president was caught on camera saying "my heart is with Argentina." Same FIFA who overturned a red card suspension after a phone call from Donald Trump — a move FIFA's own former anti-corruption adviser called "a blatant abuse of power."

And here's the final piece. Argentina's president Javier Milei calls Trump his favourite person on earth. Trump calls Milei his favourite president. Infantino described Trump as deserving the FIFA Peace Prize and openly lobbied for his Nobel nomination. These three men — the hosts, the governing body, and the defending champions — are politically inseparable.

Let that sink in. The most corrupt man in football history looked at what's happening at this World Cup and said it had gone too far.

I want to be honest with you. Tuchel was a coward last night. Parking the bus against Messi with 35 minutes to go is indefensible. England did what England always does. We bottled it.

But bottling it and being robbed are not mutually exclusive. Both things can be true.

England's players left everything on that pitch. And when they needed the game managed fairly — a neutral referee, consistent VAR, a governing body that answers to sport and not to politicians — they didn't get it. Nobody has at this tournament. Not Egypt. Not Cape Verde. Not Switzerland. And now not England.

FIFA won't say it. The BBC won't say it. Tuchel certainly won't say it. But there is one word that captures everything about this tournament — the referee, the president, the phone calls, the banner, the pattern.

You already know the word. It's been in your head since the 92nd minute.