#广场预测世界杯赢40000U A first in history! Argentine referee team officiates France's do-or-die match, World Cup explodes before kickoff

At 4:00 AM Beijing time on July 10, the World Cup quarterfinal: France vs Morocco. But before the whistle even blew, this match had already sparked fury among fans worldwide.
Because all five match officials are from Argentina.

Referee Facundo Tello, assistant referees Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade, fourth official Darío Herrera, and reserve assistant referee Cristian Navarro — a clean sweep of blue-and-white. For the first time in World Cup history, every on-field official in a single match comes from the same country. And of all countries, Argentina.

Who is Tello? The man who can dish out 10 red cards in one game
Tello, 44, was born in Bahía Blanca, Argentina. He started officiating in Argentina's top flight in 2013 and became an international referee in 2019. He boasts rich big-game experience, having worked the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the previous European Championship, and two Recopa Sudamericana finals.
But what really made him "famous" was the 2022 Copa de la Liga Profesional final between Boca Juniors and Racing Club — he showed 10 red cards in that single match: seven for Boca Juniors, three for Racing Club. Ten red cards. One match.
That's not a referee; that's a "clean sweep."
At the last World Cup, Tello officiated three matches, handing out seven yellow cards and one red (second yellow). Among those three matches was the quarterfinal where Morocco eliminated Portugal 1-0. In other words, this referee is no stranger to Morocco — he witnessed the "Atlas Lions" make history.
But he has never officiated a France match.
His first time refereeing France is a World Cup quarterfinal. The opponent is Morocco. The entire referee crew is Argentine.

French fans can't help but worry?
Why Argentina of all countries? Three fires burn at once. The controversy has three layers of logic, each like a ticking time bomb.
Layer 1: Revenge.
In the last World Cup final, Argentina beat France on penalties to win the title. The French still hold a grudge. A few days ago, in the Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt, the referee was Frenchman François Letexier. Argentina had feared beforehand that a French referee might "help France get revenge by knocking out Argentina."
Result? Argentina beat Egypt 3-2 to advance. Egypt fumed over the officiating after the match.
Now it's France's turn — the Argentine referee squad has arrived.
Layer 2: Conspiracy theory of "referee swap."
"A French referee helped Argentina, so an Argentine referee must return the favor to France" — this narrative is spreading like wildfire on social media. Some netizens joked: "A French referee worked Argentina's match; it's only fair to have an Argentine referee work France's." Fans bluntly added: "Reciprocity."
FIFA's move has been slammed by netizens as "not even trying to hide that they want Argentina to win." French media RMC Sport also publicly questioned FIFA's judgment, arguing that as the governing body, FIFA should have anticipated the controversy this arrangement would cause.
Layer 3: Breaking industry norms.
In World Cup knockout matches, the core on-field trio (referee + two assistant referees) are conventionally from the same FA and work as a long-term team. But by convention, the fourth official, reserve assistant referee, and VAR officials should come from other countries, and a full set of officials from a country with major historical grievances should not be assigned to officiate an opponent's key match.
This time, all officials are from Argentina, breaking the industry norm of avoiding conflicts of interest rooted in historical rivalries.
Spanish outlet AS commented: FIFA's decision is "surprising" because "the fourth official and VAR officials usually come from other nationalities."

What does France say? "We don't focus on the referee"
Faced with the overwhelming controversy, France opted for a "cold treatment."
Coach Didier Deschamps was quite calm: "I trust the referees, and our opponent is Morocco, not the referee."
Backup goalkeeper Robin Risser said in a press conference: "We shouldn't fall into the trap of discussing this topic. I think you are exaggerating the issue. If these referees are here at this tournament, it's because they deserve their place and meet the required level."
Defender Dayot Upamecano also stated: "I don't pay attention to who the referee is. We have never done that; we focus on our next opponent, Morocco."
That's what they say, but is France really unbothered?
Don't forget: At the last European Championship, when Tello officiated Scotland vs Hungary, Hungary scored the winner in the 10th minute of stoppage time in the second half, while Scotland's penalty claim was ignored by VAR. After the match, Scotland manager Steve Clarke angrily questioned: "I don't understand how VAR looked at that action and decided it wasn't a penalty... He is Argentine. Why isn't a European referee officiating?"
Now, the same question is being asked about France.

Morocco: This 'civil war' is already complicated enough
Beyond the referee controversy, the match itself already carries plenty of drama.
Four years ago in the Qatar World Cup semifinal, France beat Morocco 2-0. Now the two teams meet again in the quarterfinals. Morocco's squad is practically a "France B team" — 10 of the starting XI were born overseas, including 18-year-old midfielder Benjamín Bouchouari who once captained the France U21 national team, but decided to play for Morocco three months before the World Cup.
A player who once represented France's youth setup is now tasked with blocking France. And now there are Argentine referees to "escort" the match.
France vs Morocco was already a "civil war." The Argentine referee crew has turned it into a "three-way brawl."
The whistle hasn't blown, but smoke already fills social media, where fans have exploded:
"FIFA is truly a pathetic and corrupt organization."
"France gets Argentine referees for every match; FIFA is once again doing everything to hand the World Cup to Argentina."
"Now they don't even bother pretending. All Argentines. Might as well call Messi to watch VAR."
"Why waste time? Just give the World Cup to Argentina."
Meanwhile, France is still appealing a yellow card given to one of their players, but FIFA has not responded. Morocco coach Walid Regragui confirmed that only a certain player is out injured, while the rest are available to play.
On one side, France's terrifying firepower — five wins out of five, scoring 14 goals. On the other, Morocco's iron defense — a 34-match unbeaten run. Mbappé leads the scoring chart with 7 goals, while one player has 5 assists to top the assists chart. Morocco's aces are Brahim Díaz and the in-form Ounahi.
But all these tactical analyses pale in the face of the referee dispute.
The whistle will blow at 4:00 AM Beijing time on July 10 at the Boston Sports Stadium. The world's eyes are fixed not only on Mbappé and Morocco's defense, but also on the whistle in Tello's hand — and the red cards in his pocket.
Will the history of 10 red cards repeat itself in a World Cup quarterfinal?
This time, who will be the victim?