Ismail Elfath Builds FIFA Resume With 2022 World Cup Run

Ismail Elfath officiated two group-stage matches and a Round of 16 game at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a run that pushed the Austin-based referee onto one of soccer’s biggest stages. He later served as a fourth official for the final between Argentina and France, and his résumé already included two MLS Referee of the Year honors.

Elfath’s Austin Path

Moroccan-born and based in Austin, he immigrated to the United States as a teenager and has been an MLS referee since 2012. He joined FIFA’s international list in 2016, adding the world game to a career that had already moved from domestic matches to the sport’s highest level.

Elfath said he became a referee after a complaint to a match official turned into an invitation to try the role himself. He graduated from the University of Texas, giving his rise a clear Texas thread that runs through the story of his career.

Texas Referees On FIFA Lists

Elfath is not the only Texas-based official to reach major FIFA assignments. Armando Villarreal started officiating youth games in Brownsville at age 18, made his MLS debut in 2012, earned a place on FIFA’s international referees list in 2015, and went on to work multiple MLS Cup finals and CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments. He was selected as a video assistant referee for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Brooke Mayo, who grew up in Garland, began refereeing soccer at age 13 and was selected to officiate the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final between Spain and England. Taken together, the three résumés show that elite officiating is no longer concentrated in one corner of the country.

Dallas And Houston In 2026

The pipeline has a direct link to the next World Cup on American soil. Dallas and Houston are set to host multiple matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and North Texas is preparing to host one of the largest shares of matches in the expanded tournament. For Texas referees, that creates a familiar stage with even more eyes on the officials who reach it.