​ATLANTA — For English referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor, their participation at the 2026 World Cup is over.The same goes for Argentine referee Facundo Tello.The exclusion of the three officials isn’t due to their performance at the World Cup, but instead it is because of the teams that remain in the competition.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEngland and Argentina will face off on Wednesday, July 15 in a semifinal, with the winner moving on to face Spain in the final on Sunday, July 19.FIFA regulations don’t allow referees to take charge of games featuring their home country, which is a no-brainer.But there are also restrictions on matches featuring countries with a sensitive political history. This is why for the three officials, they can no longer referee at this tournament.England and Argentina were involved in a 1982 war over the Falkland Islands, a conflict that lasted 74 days and resulted in 907 deaths.1 / 5US forward #20 Folarin Balogun (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s third goal during the 2026 World Cup Group D football match between USA and Paraguay at the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 12, 2026.(PATRICK T. FALLON, AFP via Getty Images)Though the war took place more than 40 years ago, there is still plenty of sensitivity between the two nations.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWith either England or Argentina participating in all three remaining World Cup games (including the third-place match), officials from both countries will no longer be eligible.USA TODAY Sports has reached out to FIFA for comment.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why English referees Michael Oliver, Anthony Taylor are done for World Cup