Szymon Marciniak: The referee officiating the 2022 World Cup final
The 2022 World Cup final will take place on Sunday and FIFA have named the referee who will take charge of the game between Argentina and France.
Szymon Marciniak will become the first Polish referee to officiate the final and is no stranger to a big occasion, having taken charge of some dramatic Champions League fixtures in the past few years.
He also has history with both Argentina and France and has refereed both teams already during the 2022 World Cup.
Here's the lowdown on the ref in the middle of Sunday's final.
Who is Szymon Marciniak?
Szymon Marciniak is a Polish referee who has been given the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France.
The 41-year-old began his officiating career in Poland's top division in 2009 and was FIFA listed in 2013. He is now a familiar face on the referee scene, having debuted in the Champions League back in 2014 in Juventus' 2-0 victory over Malmo.
He's been given some exhilarating games to watch over in recent years. In the 2021/22 Champions League knockout stage, Marciniak officiated Villarreal's shock win at Juventus, a thriller which saw Chelsea crash out at Real Madrid and a more straightforward 2-0 Liverpool win over Villarreal in the semi-finals.
In terms of finals, the biggest game Marciniak has taken charge of was the UEFA Super Cup in 2018, which saw Atletico Madrid beat city rivals Real Madrid 4-2 after extra time. Marciniak handed out eight cautions that night but isn't renowned for whipping his cards out.
Has Szymon Marciniak ever refereed a France game?
Marciniak has refereed two France games previously. The first came in 2020 in Les Bleus' Nations League clash with Sweden which they won 1-0 thanks to Kylian Mbappe's strike. Antoine Griezmann also missed a penalty.
He also took charge of France's group stage game against Denmark earlier in the 2022 World Cup. He handed out only one yellow card in a 2-1 win for Didier Deschamps' side.
Has Szymon Marciniak ever refereed an Argentina game?
Marciniak has also officiated two Argentina games previously. The first came at the 2018 World Cup, which was a chaotic campaign for the Albiceleste.
Marciniak gave Argentina a penalty in their clash with debutants Iceland, but Lionel Messi saw his effort from the spot saved by Hannes Halldorsson.
The second time he refereed the South Americans came in the 2022 last 16 when they faced Australia. Messi and Julian Alvarez had them 2-0 up though Enzo Fernandez's own goal made it a nervy finish.
What matches has Szymon Marciniak refereed at the 2022 World Cup?
The two matches involving France and Argentina are the only two Marciniak has officiated so far. However, with just five yellow cards handed out and no penalties given, he seems as safe a pair of hands to give the final to.
The tournament has had a few games disrupted by poor officiating. Renowned hardman Antonio Mateu Lahoz left shortly after his catastrophic display in Argentina's victory over the Netherlands, while Wilton Sampaio came in for heavy criticism after France's victory over England.
Who will the assistant referees be for the 2022 World Cup final?
The following team of officials will support Marciniak during the World Cup final.
- Pawel Sokolnicki (Assistant referee)
- Tomasz Listkiewicz (Assistant referee)
- Ismail Elfath (Fourth official)
- Pawel Sokolnicki (VAR)
- Juan Soto (Assistant VAR)
- Kyle Atkins (Offside VAR)
- Fernando Guerrero (Support VAR)