Polish referee Szymon Marciniak gestures during the 2026 World Cup Group J football match between Argentina and Algeria. | Photo Credit: ROBERTO SCHMIDT

Egypt is set to take on Iran in a FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match on Friday. The match has already garnered some controversy, with it being allocated the Pride Match for the tournament, a decision that both sides have opposed.

With Egypt top of the group, a win would guarantee top spot and knock Iran out. A draw would secure Egypt’s qualification, but put Iran’s qualification out of its hands.

An Iran win would guarantee its qualification, but its position in the group would depend on Belgium’s result.

Who is the referee for Egypt vs Iran FIFA World Cup 2026 match?

The Egypt vs Iran FIFA World Cup 2026 match will be officiated by Polish referee Szymon Marciniak. Earlier in the tournament, he had took charge of the game between Argentina and Algeria.

Marciniak made his debut in the Polish second division in 2008 and has been a full FIFA international referee since 2011. This will be his third FIFA World Cup, refereeing two games in 2018 and three games in 2022. Most notably, Marciniak was in charge of the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, in which Argentina defeated France on penalties. He regularly officiates the Polish top division and the UEFA Champions League.

Throughout his career, Marciniak has refereed 713 games in all competitions. He has issued 2894 yellow cards (average 4.06 per game), and 161 red cards (average 0.22 per game).

Marciniak has also refereed the 2018 UEFA Super Cup between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, and the 2023 UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan. The 45-year-old was also named the World’s Best Referee for 2022 and 2023 by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS)

Full list of referee/match officials for Egypt vs Iran

• Referee: Szymon Marciniak
• Assistant Referee 1: Tomasz Listkiewicz
• Assistant Referee 2: Adam Kupsik
• 4th Official: Yusuke Araki
• Reserve Assistant Referee: Jun Mihara

Published on Jun 27, 2026