World Cup: Polish referee Szymon Marciniak blows the whistle for the final

He was the favorite to referee the World Cup final, now it’s official. Pole Szymon Marciniak will be fine on the whistle Argentina – France, Sunday at 16:00 (French time). In this competition he has already officiated twice: once for France against Denmark in the group stage (2-1), once for Argentina against Australia in the round of 16 (2-1). This is the third time the French team has crossed paths with Szymon Marchiniak. In 2020, he was the referee during the Blues’ 1-0 victory in Sweden with a goal from Kylian Mbappé.

At 41, the Polish referee has already had several important appointments in his career. In particular, he was on the whistle of the 2018 European Super Cup, which Atlético Madrid won (4:2) against their neighbor Real Madrid. In April 2022, he was named in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final between Liverpool and Villarreal, England. Very experienced, this will be the 551st match of his career, the 33rd international match.

This is the first time a Polish referee will blow his whistle for a World Cup final match. Szymon Marchiniak replaced Nestor Pitan, the Argentine referee of the France-Croatia final match four years ago in Russia. His decision to award the Blues a penalty in the 38th minute sparked a heated debate, with many believing that Ivan Perisic’s hand should not have been punished.