Overview
- FIFA confirmed on Wednesday that Romanian referee Istvan Kóvacs will take charge of Argentina’s final Group J match against Jordan at AT&T Stadium in Dallas with kickoff set for 23:00 Argentina time on Saturday.
- Kóvacs will work with assistants Mihai Marica and Ferencz Tunyogi and fourth and reserve officials Dahane Beida and Jerson Santos while the VAR team will be announced closer to the match.
- Kóvacs’s résumé includes promotion to UEFA’s elite panel in 2019, refereeing the 2024/25 Champions League final, and handling the World Cup’s 1,000th match (Japan 4–0 Tunisia), and this will be his first time officiating an Argentina game on the field.
- UEFA removed Kóvacs from late‑stage Champions League assignments after protests about his handling of Barcelona vs Atlético, specifically a missed handball in the box and an on‑field upgrade from yellow to red for Pau Cubarsí following a review.
- Because Argentina already secured progression to the round of 16, the match is lower competitive stakes but could draw heightened scrutiny of on‑field decisions and the yet‑to‑be‑named VAR team will shape how key incidents are reviewed.