With the FIFA World Cup turning more competitive as the business end approaches, France head coach Didier Deschamps has downplayed the fact that several Argentinian officials will supervise his team’s quarterfinal clash against Morocco in Foxborough, USA, on Thursday (July 9). He said the former world champions will play against the African side, not the referee.

Also read: FIFA World Cup 2026: Full quarterfinal schedule, venues, and India timings

The match will see as many as five officials from the Latin American country, including the referee, two assistant referees, the fourth official, and the reserve assistant referee.

The 57-year-old Deschamps, who led France to their maiden World Cup title in 1998 as the captain and their second crown in 2018 as the coach, said he had no problem with the Argentinian officials.

He said he had no issue with Facundo Tello, the referee for the game, or any of the other officials.

France coach says he trusts match referees

“We have to deal with it. I trust the referees. Our opponent is Morocco, not the referee,” Deschamps said, according to an ESPN report.

France’s reserve goalkeeper Robin Risser also found nothing wrong with the Argentinians officiating the vital clash. Although the rivalry between France and Argentina has become fierce over the last few years (the Albiceleste lead 3-1), he said the rivalry is part of the game and hailed the referees, saying they were there because of their efficiency.

France, who beat Argentina 4-3 on their way to win the 2018 title, lost against the same opponents in a thrilling final four years later. This year, a repeat of the 2022 final cannot be ruled out with both teams continuing their prime touch.

Refereeing in focus after Argentina-Egypt game

Refereeing has become a major controversy in this World Cup, particularly after Argentina beat Egypt in Atlanta, USA, in the Round of 16 game on Tuesday (July 7) after trailing 0-2. Critics said the defending champions and Messi were being favoured at the expense of other teams after the Egyptians found one of their goals cancelled and were also allegedly denied a penalty.

Also read: Messi takes sole lead in World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race with historic eighth goal

The news that five Argentinian officials were set to oversee the France-Morocco game added fuel to the conspiracy theory that Les Bleus may not reach the semifinals. Some even mocked, saying even Messi could have been roped in as a referee for the France match.

However, as French official Francois Letexier was accused of favouring Argentina in the Egypt game, Deschamps took a dig at the critics, saying he hoped that those set to officiate Thursday’s match would be as good as Letexier.

Morocco coach has no problem either

Mohamed Ouahbi, Deschamps’s Morocco counterpart, also refused to attach much importance to the referee factor. In his news conference on the eve of the game, he said the Argentinian referee is a “very experienced one”, and such people are wanted for such high-voltage games. “We’re very calm,” he said, according to the ESPN report.

Ouahbi praised a Dutch referee that they faced in the tournament before Morocco kicked out the Netherlands in the Round of 32, and said the officials were trying to do their best.

“The referee we’ll have against France, he’s not so quick to give bookings, and that can play an impact, but I would not say anything against the quality of the referees,” the Morocco coach said.

Morocco lost to France 0-2 in the semi-final of the 2022 edition and finished fourth. Tello refereed their game against Portugal in the quarter-final, which the North Africans won 1-0. Morocco is the first African nation to make the semi-finals of the football World Cup.

FIFA rejects France appeal on Olise yellow card

Meanwhile, Deschamps revealed that France’s appeal to rescind star winger Michael Olise’s controversial yellow card during their Round of 16 win over Paraguay on July 5 was denied by FIFA on Wednesday.

“There was no change when it comes to Olise’s yellow card. We received FIFA’s decision this morning that the yellow card was maintained,” the France coach said.

It means that if Olise saw another yellow card during his team’s quarterfinal game against Morocco, it would result in a suspension for a potential semifinal game.

Also read: No ordinary defeat: How early World Cup exits have ignited chaos, fury at home

The country’s federation appealed the infraction that was issued to Olise in the 97th minute of its 1-0 win over Paraguay following his altercation with Matías Galarza.

France’s appeal came after US President Donald Trump made a phone call last week to FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to make the case that US striker Folarin Balogun should not have been suspended for the Round of 16 match with Belgium on July 6 because of a red card received in the previous game against Bosnia and Herzegovina last week.

FIFA lifted the suspension and cleared Balogun to play, triggering worldwide outrage. Belgium, however, thrashed the co-hosts 4-1 to advance to the last-eight stage.

(With agency inputs)