Polish referee, Szymon Marciniak has been selected as the on-field official for 2022 World Cup final between France and Argentina.
FIFA’s chairman of referees, Pierluigi Collina, has been tasked with evaluating officials throughout the tournament in Qatar to decide which team will be given the showpiece event.
And it has now been confirmed the team from Poland will be in charge at the Lusail Stadium as the two international heavyweights go toe-to-toe.
Marciniak will become the first Pole to referee a World Cup final – and will be joined by assistants Paweł Sokolnicki and Tomasz Listkiewicz. The 41-year-old has been given the nod having already officiated both of the sides to have reached the final.
The Polish ref oversaw France’s 2-1 win over Denmark in the group stages, before being awarded Argentina’s round-of-16 victory vs Australia. Marciniak was selected over a host of officials, including Wilton Sampaio, who enraged England’s stars during their quarter-final defeat to the French.
Sampaio remained in Qatar for the final stages, despite appearing to make a glut of errors during the Three Lions’ painful exit. The Chilean ref failed to see a potential foul on Bukayo Saka for the first goal, before failing to award a first-half penalty for Harry Kane.
Sampaio did give England two spot kicks in the second half, albeit the second of which came after a lengthy VAR check. And while Gareth Southgate refused to criticise his performance in his own post-match autopsy, a selection of heartbroken players pointed the blame.
