Five-time world champions Brazil will aim to reach the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after missing out on the last eight spot at Qatar 2022 against Norway in New Jersey on Sunday.
Norway, on the other hand, has never reached the quarter-finals before, and with goal machine Erling Haaland leading the attack, the country will look to history in this crucial round of 16 match.
Who is the referee in Brazil vs Norway in the 16th round of the FIFA World Cup?
Ismail Elfath, a Moroccan-born American referee, will officiate the round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway. The 42-year-old football referee has been listed as an international referee with 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.
In Qatar 2022, Elfath refereed two group stage matches, the Round of 16 match between Japan and Croatia, and was the fourth official for the Final between Argentina and France.
In this edition of the World Cup, he has played two matches so far: the group stage matches, Uruguay against Spain and the Netherlands against Japan.
Elfath has shown 1065 yellow cards and 33 red cards in 297 matches, which equates to an average of 3.59 yellow cards per match. At this World Cup he has shown two yellow cards and one red card to Agustín Canobbio for a challenge against Pau Cubani in the Uruguay-Spain match.
Full list of match officials in Brazil vs Norway:
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Chief 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: Said Martínez (Honduras/Guatemala)
Published on July 5, 2026
