FIFA World Cup Final 2022: Are you watching Argentina vs France final today? Find out who is Szymon Marciniak

FIFA World Cup Final 2022:The ongoing World Cup in Qatar hasn't been short on controversies. Referees and Video Assistant Referee (VAR) have been at the receiving end of criticism from players and fans alike. However, amid the gloom, there is one heartening story of a referee that is set to register his name in the history books.

Szymon Marciniak will be the first referee in the final between France and Argentina at the Lusail Stadium on Today (Sunday December 18). The 41-old-year referee, hailing from Poland will become the first Polish person to officiate a final of the FIFA World Cup.

Marciniak finding himself at the centre of the biggest match of the sport is something that he himself could not have imagined a year ago. The Polish referee was forced to step away from officiating duties after being diagnosed withTachycardia -- a heart condition where the heart rate exceeds the normal resting rate.

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"I had a very difficult time for the last year-and-a-half. I had Tachycardia - it's a heart illness. In the beginning, it was very difficult,"Marciniak was quoted as saying by Reuters.

"I missed the UEFA European Championship, it was a terrible feeling. Now, life gives back to me and I cannot even stop smiling because it's a great feeling."

Marciniak started his career in 2009 in Poland's top-flight tournament. Four years later, he joined FIFA's official list of referees. He was also involved in the 2018 World Cup held in Russia and is famously known for handing German player Jerome Boateng a red card.

Marciniak will be joined by assistants Pawel Sokolnicki and Tomasz Listkiewicz who also happen to be Polish. As for VAR,Tomasz Kwiatkowski will man the consoles with Ismail Elfath as the fourth official.

What is the controversy around referees?

Referees at the Qatar World Cup 2022 have had to endure a tough time ever since the knockout phase began. It all started during the highly physical quarterfinal match between Netherlands and Argentina where Lionel Messi and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez slammed referees.

"I don’t want to speak about referees because after they will sanction you. But people saw what happened. I think FIFA must take care of this. It cannot put a referee like that for a match of such magnitude, of such importance. The referee cannot fail to be up to the task," said Messi in a post-match interview.

Read more:Messi, Martinez slam referee and Dutch coach after tense quarterfinal win

Notably, similar criticism was levelled by Portuguese players following their 1-0 defeat against Morocco. Portugal's midfield leader Bruno Fernandes said an 'Argentine' referee should not have been allowed to officiate their match.

"I don't know if they're going to give the cup to Argentina. I don't care, I'm going to say what I think, and screw them. It's very strange that a referee from a team that's still in the cup officiates us. They've clearly tilted the field against us," said Fernandes.

(With inputs from agencies)

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