The Netherlands and Japan open their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign at AT&T Stadium in Dallas on Sunday. The match is officiated by a referee from the United States of America and is quite well known among Japanese fans.
Ismail Elfath, a Moroccan-born American referee, will officiate the first match of Group F. The 42-year-old football referee has been listed as an international referee for FIFA since 2016.
Elfath was selected as a referee for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland and was subsequently appointed as a referee for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He was named the 2020 MLS Referee of the Year.
During the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Elfath refereed two group stage matches, the round of 16 between Japan and Croatia, and was the fourth official for the final between Argentina and France.
With Elfath on the field, Japan were eliminated in the round of 16 of Qatar 2022 – a result the Asian heavyweight hopes to bury before the 2026 campaign.
Full list of match officials in Netherlands vs Japan at FIFA World Cup 2026:
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Referee: Ismail Elfath (USA)
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Assistant Referee 1: Corey Parker (USA)
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Assistant Referee 2: Kyle Atkins (USA)
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Fourth official: Katia Garcia (MEX)
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WHERE: Joe Dickerson (USA)
Published on June 14, 2026
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