Who is Marco Di Bello, Italian VAR in England vs. Argentina World Cup semi final

Who is Marco Di Bello, Italian VAR in England vs. Argentina World Cup semi final Italian referee Marco Di Bello is the VAR for this evening’s World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina, with Maurizio Mariani the fourth official. The game kicked off in Atlanta at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST). PARMA, ITALY – APRIL 12: Marco Di Bello, referee of the match talks with Enrico Delprato of Parma Calcio during the Serie A match between Parma Calcio 1913 and SSC Napoli at Stadio Ennio Tardini on April 12, 2026 in Parma, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images) The winners will go on to face Spain in the Final in New Jersey on Sunday, while the losers will take on France for the bronze medal on Saturday. Much was made of the choice of officials for the semi-finals in this tournament, with France’s Didier Deschamps criticising the appointment of Ivan Barton from El Salvador. The pick for the second semi-final was no less obscure, Ismail Elfath originally from Morocco, but nationalised US citizen. Italian experience with Di Bello and Mariani MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JUNE 15: Referee Maurizio Mariani (C) walks out of the tunnel with match officials for warm ups before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay at Miami Stadium on June 15, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) There is more experience off the field, as Italian fourth official Mariani is tasked with keeping things calm on the touchline between Thomas Tuchel and Lionel Scaloni. In the VAR booth is Di Bello, who could well be called into action, considering the tense and scrappy history between these football nations. Di Bello turned 45 on Sunday and has officiated 189 Serie A games, 75 in Serie B and 11 in the Coppa Italia. ROME, ITALY – MARCH 01: Referee Marco Di Bello shows a red card to Matteo Guendouzi of SS Lazio as Christian Pulisic of AC Milan is shown a yellow card during the Serie A TIM match between SS Lazio and AC Milan – Serie A TIM at Stadio Olimpico on March 01, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) He was always one for discipline, flashing 822 yellow cards during his 189 Serie A matches, 31 straight red cards, and a further 17 dismissals due to double bookings. Di Bello became an international referee in 2018 and was chosen to officiate the Final of the Cyprus Cup in May 2022. He was a VAR at EURO 2020 and has been a FIFA Video Match Official since January 2021. Di Bello was suspended for a month in 2024 after a chaotic Serie A match between Lazio and Milan that saw three red cards.