Deschamps shrugs off controversy over Argentine officiating team selected for France-Morocco World Cup semifinal: 'Have to deal with it'

France head coach Didier Deschamps shrugged off worries about the appointment of an all-Argentine squad of match referees for their 2026 World Cup quarterfinal showdown against Morocco on Friday.

FIFA appointed an all-Argentine officials line-up for the France-Morocco semifinal clash, with Facundo Tello named as the primary referee. It would be the first time in the ongoing tournament that all the match officials belonged to a single nation.

Notably, France and Argentina have been heated rivals since the 2022 World Cup final, where the Messi-led side defeated Les Blues on penalties after the match finished at 3-3.

'Our opponent is Morocco, not the referee'

Speaking at the press conference, Deschamps dismissed concerns about the appointment of an all‑Argentine referee squad for France’s World Cup semifinal, expressing trust in the officials and reminding everyone that the real challenge lies in facing Morocco, not the referees.

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"We have to deal with it. I trust the referees. Our opponent is Morocco, not the referee," Deschamps said, as quoted by ESPN.

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Robin Risser, France's backup goalkeeper, acknowledged that France and Argentina have been bitter rivals since the 2022 summit clash, but all of that is part of the game.

There's been a certain bitterness (between France and Argentina) for a few years now since the last final, but that's part of the game. If these referees are there, it's because they're up to the level of the competition," Risser said.

Morocco head coach downplays concerns over referee controversy

Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi also palliated concerns over the all-Argentine match officials. He pointed out that the officials are experienced, something teams would want for high-profile showdowns.

Ouahbi added that he had no complaints about the referees' quality and believed they were doing the best.

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"Regarding the referees for tomorrow's game, we're talking about a very experienced referee. That's what we want. We want experienced referees for these type of matches. So we're very calm.

"We had a Dutch referee before facing the Netherlands, and he did very well. So that's not something we really talk about because we know that they're just 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 head coach said.

France vs Morocco clash would be a rematch of their 2022 showdown, where Kylian Mbappe's side defeated them to march into the summit clash against Argentina in Qatar. The 2026 World Cup quarterfinal showdown would take place on Friday, July 9, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.