Argentina vs Croatia referee: Who is World Cup 2022 official Daniele Orsato?

Who is the official in the middle for the semi-final showdown at the Lusail Stadium?

Tuesday 13 December 2022 17:08 EST

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Italian referee Daniele Orsato is in charge of today’s World Cup semi-final between Argentina and Croatia at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.

Orsato has already officiated a game involving Argentina at this tournament, namely the 2-0 Group C win for Lionel Messi and Co against Mexico which secured their passage to the knockout stages, dishing out five bookings in total - four to Mexico and one to Argentina.

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The 47-year-old, who has been a Fifa referee since 2010, also refereed the first match of the tournament at the Al Bayt Stadium between hosts Qatar and Ecuador.

Orsato , who has an average of handing out 4.08 yellows-per-game this season in all competitions, is yet to referee a game in the knockout-phase of this World Cup though he does have big-game experience behind him, having taken charge of the 2020 Champions League final between PSG and Bayern Munich. He was also a VAR official during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.