FIFA has appointed American referee Ismail Elfath to officiate the England vs Argentina World Cup semi-final on Wednesday in Atlanta. The appointment has attracted attention after Lionel Messi maintained a perfect record in matches involving the American official.

At the FIFA World Cup, security has been significantly increased ahead of the England vs Argentina World Cup semi-final, with authorities identifying the match as one of the tournament’s highest-risk fixtures. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni urged fans to keep politics out of the encounter and focus solely on football.

England reached the semi-finals after defeating DR Congo, Mexico and Norway, while defending champions Argentina knocked out Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland. The winner of the England vs Argentina World Cup semi-final will face either Spain or France in Sunday’s World Cup final.