He was the favorite to referee the World Cup final, it's now official.
The Polish Szymon Marciniak will be well at the whistle of Argentina - France, Sunday at 4 p.m. (French time).
In this competition, he has already refereed 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 that the French team has crossed paths with Szymon Marciniak.
In 2020, he was the main referee during the victory of the Blues in Sweden (1-0), with a goal from Kylian Mbappé.
At 41, the Polish referee has already had some major appointments in his career.
He had notably been on the whistle for the 2018 European Supercup, won (4-2) by Atlético Madrid against his neighbor Real.
In April 2022, he was named for the Champions League semi-final first leg between Liverpool and Villarreal, England.
Very experienced, it will be the 551st match of his career, the 33rd international match.
This is the first time that a Polish referee will be on the whistle for a World Cup final.
Szymon Marciniak succeeds Nestor Pitana, Argentinian referee of the France - Croatia final four years ago, in Russia.
His decision to award a penalty to the Blues in the 38th minute had sparked heated debate, with many considering that the hand of Ivan Perisic should not have been sanctioned.