On Wednesday, December 17, in the 2025 Intercontinental Cup final, Paris Saint-Germain will face Flamengo at the Ahmad-ben-Ali Al Rayyan Stadium in Doha, Qatar (kick-off at 6:00 PM, CET). The referee for the match has been chosen: Ismail Elfath (43 years old). He has extensive experience, including 216 MLS matches (as well as Copa America and World Cup appearances).
Yellow Cards –
With Mr. Elfath officiating, we can expect the number of yellow cards to be relatively “normal” during the match. Indeed, while the average number of yellow cards per match in France is 3.53 (standard deviation of 0.39), the referee for the final has averaged 3.60 yellow cards per match throughout his MLS career (Transfermarkt figures). Let’s hope this is thanks to dialogue and good management, not a lack of player protection.
Direct Red Cards –
The referee for the final is less strict when it comes to direct red cards. Indeed, Elfath averages 0.13 red cards per match in his career, while the French average is 0.17 per match (standard deviation of 0.07). This suggests a more measured approach, rather than resorting to indiscriminate punishment.
Second Yellow Cards –
Ismail Elfath, on the other hand, tends to send off a player after their first yellow card in a match, having given a second yellow card to the same player an average of 0.14 times per match. This is higher than the French average of 0.09 (standard deviation of 0.03). Even with relatively few yellow cards initially, it’s clear that players need to be more careful once they’ve been booked.
Penalties –
Regarding penalties, the man who will officiate the final is well below average with 0.33 penalties awarded per match, while in Ligue 1 the average is 0.34 (standard deviation of 0.08).
