The biggest refereeing debate of the FIFA World Cup is no longer about a penalty or an offside decision. It is about one man. Following his controversial performance in France’s Round of 16 victory over Paraguay, Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev has become one of the most discussed officials at the tournament. French media, former referees and supporters have all questioned his display, with criticism focusing on his disciplinary control, inconsistent foul recognition and his reliance on VAR to award the match’s decisive penalty. The question now is simple.

Has Tantashev already refereed his final match at the 2026 World Cup?

Why is Ilgiz Tantashev being criticised?

The France vs Paraguay match was one of the most physical games of the tournament. Paraguay committed repeated tactical fouls, regularly disrupted France’s rhythm and frequently pushed the limits of acceptable physical play. Despite that, Paraguay finished the match without receiving a single yellow card, while France collected three bookings. Many observers felt the referee allowed the match to become increasingly aggressive before finally losing control. The decisive penalty for France also required a VAR intervention after Tantashev initially waved play on. Although the final decision was correct, many elite referees would be expected to recognise that foul without needing video assistance.

The criticism has been unusually strong

It is not just supporters who have criticised the performance. French newspaper L’Équipe reportedly awarded Tantashev a 1/10, one of the lowest referee ratings of the tournament. Former referees and television analysts also questioned:

• his disciplinary consistency,
• the lack of sanctions against Paraguay,
• player protection,
• and his overall match control.

Whenever criticism comes simultaneously from media, former officials and fans, FIFA’s Referees Committee will inevitably review the performance internally.

Will FIFA remove him?

At the time of writing, FIFA has not announced any disciplinary action against Ilgiz Tantashev, nor has it publicly criticised his performance. That is entirely normal. FIFA almost never comments publicly on individual referees during a tournament. Instead, its opinion is usually reflected through future appointments. This is how FIFA has traditionally managed referees at World Cups. Officials who perform well continue receiving important knockout matches. Those whose performances raise concerns often receive no further appointments.

The next appointments will tell the real story

For that reason, the next referee appointments may be more significant than any official statement. If Tantashev is absent from the remaining quarter-finals, semi-finals and medal matches, many refereeing observers will interpret that as FIFA’s assessment of his tournament. It would not necessarily be a punishment. Rather, it would indicate that other officials currently enjoy greater confidence within FIFA’s refereeing department.

Was this simply one difficult match?

There is also another side to the debate. Paraguay presented one of the most challenging refereeing tests of the World Cup. Their physical style, tactical fouling and constant attempts to frustrate France would have tested even the tournament’s most experienced officials. Some observers argue that no referee would have escaped criticism in such circumstances. That does not excuse inconsistent disciplinary decisions, but it provides important context when evaluating the overall performance.

What usually happens after a poor World Cup performance?

History suggests that FIFA rarely removes referees publicly. Instead, appointments simply stop. During previous World Cups, officials who produced controversial knockout performances often found themselves overlooked for the remainder of the competition without any official explanation.

The system allows FIFA to avoid publicly undermining its own referees while still maintaining confidence in the officiating programme.

The VAR Verdict

Ilgiz Tantashev arrived at the World Cup with an impressive international résumé and years of experience on FIFA’s list. However, France vs Paraguay has undoubtedly become the defining moment of his tournament. The missed penalty that required VAR intervention, the inconsistent disciplinary approach and the growing loss of control combined to produce one of the most criticised refereeing displays of the knockout stage. Whether that performance proves to be his final World Cup appointment now depends entirely on FIFA. If his name does not appear among the remaining referee appointments, the answer will likely speak louder than any official statement ever could.