Szymon Marciniak heard magical words. “The Final for the Second Time”
Will Szymon Marciniak be the referee of the 2026 World Cup final? This cannot be ruled out, although the final decision from FIFA is still unknown. However, the Pole is very close.
This would be a story that has never happened before in the history of the World Cup. We wrote several times during the tournament in WPROST that Szymon Marciniak could write a completely new chapter in the history of the World Cup.
The facts are that FIFA still has two matches to play. The last one, Saturday (i.e. July 18) for 3rd place and the grand final of the 2026 World Championships. Sunday (i.e. July 19) clash – here there will definitely be the most emotions.
Szymon Marciniak in the World Cup final? Prophetic words for a Pole
It is worth recalling that Marciniak was not the first Polish referee present in the grand final of the World Cup. Michał Listkiewicz had previously achieved this feat when he was a linesman in the final battle of the 1990 World Cup. The Pole was one of the three judges at the stadium in Rome, where West Germany won against Argentina 1-0.
The referee from Płock appeared on the pitch only twice during the current World Cup as the main referee. These were group stage matches in which Argentina faced Algeria and Egypt faced Iran.
Is FIFA waiting to nominate a Pole for the grand final?
– We recently called via WhatsApp and everyone is feeling great. They are waiting for the decision and mentally they are definitely ready. However, they do not have much pressure that they have to referee the final. And in my opinion, this is the right approach (…) Taking into account Szymon’s personality and the fact that Pierluigi Collina appreciates him, I already said before the championship that he could win the final for the second time. There are appropriate circumstances for this, including: the weaker form of some referees – admitted Zbigniew Przesmycki, former head of referees of the Polish Football Association, in an interview for Interia.
Such signals regarding the Polish referee and linking him with the final battle of the 2026 World Cup appear not only in Polish sources. Already at the beginning of the knockout phase, Marciniak was mentioned by journalists of the French “L’Équipe” among the best whom FIFA can choose for the most important elections.
Decisions on the referees for the 3rd place match and the final will be made after the semi-final matches.
World Cup 2026. Where and when to watch the greatest football World Cup in history?
From June 11 to July 19, the 23rd FIFA World Cup will be held on pitches in three countries – the United States, Mexico and Canada. An event that will certainly be unique, if only because of its format. For the first time in history, as many as 48 teams took part in the main tournament.
The title from four years ago is defended by the Argentines. During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Messi and company defeated the French in the final, winning after a series of penalties (4:2). In the history of football World Cups, Brazil has the most titles – as many as five. Four victories in the history of the World Championships belong to the Italians and Germans. The Argentines won three times. More than once, the trophy for winning the World Cup was raised – twice – by the players of France and Uruguay.
The Polish national team was third twice at the World Championships, but those were the old days – we are talking about the events in 1974 and 1982. At the last World Cup, Poles managed to advance to the knockout phase, but were eliminated in the 1/8 finals by the French (1:3).
Matches of the 2026 World Cup can only be watched on Polish Television – on TVP Sport, TVP 1 and TVP 2 and on tvpsport.pl. Additionally, broadcasts will be available in the TVP Sport mobile application and smart TV.
