The upcoming France vs Morocco clash at the 2026 World Cup will evoke memories of their semi-final encounter in 2022, which ended 2-0 in favour of France.

Didier Deschamps’ side will be aiming to reach their third consecutive World Cup final, having lifted the trophy in 2018 and narrowly lost to Argentina in the 2022 final.

Morocco, meanwhile, already made history as the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final in 2022. Achieving another deep run would further cement their place in football folklore.

Officiating this high-stakes quarter-final will be Argentinian referee Facundo Tello. The experienced official will be supported by fellow Argentinians Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade as assistant referees.

Dario Herrera and Cristian Navarro, also from Argentina, will serve as the fourth official and reserve assistant referee, respectively.

Tello is no stranger to the World Cup, having overseen five matches in the competition throughout his career, including two fixtures in North America.

At this tournament, he took charge of Canada’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina and South Africa’s 1-0 victory over South Korea in Group A.

Fans may recall that Tello also officiated Morocco’s 1-0 win over Portugal in the 2022 quarter-finals, a match that featured five yellow cards and one red card.

On the global stage, Tello is known for his measured approach to discipline, averaging just 3.2 bookings per match. However, in Argentina’s domestic Liga Profesional de Fútbol, where he has officiated most of his career, that figure rises to 5.7 bookings per game.

Interestingly, despite refereeing five World Cup matches, the Argentinian has yet to award a penalty at the tournament.