world cup referee assignments for friday

Four U.S. Soccer Referees Selected To Officiate 2022 World Cup Final To Cap Off Impressive Showing By All Five U.S. Referees In Qatar

CHICAGO (Dec. 17, 2022) – As the 2022 FIFA World Cup draws to a close this weekend, the five U.S. Soccer referees appointed for the global stage have shone at the highest level, having been assigned 47 times to officiate at a total of 23 different matches during the tournament, and for the first time ever four U.S. Soccer referees will work the FIFA World Cup Final.

Referee Ismail Elfath , assistant referees Kyle Atkins , Kathryn Nesbitt and Corey Parker as well as Video Assistant Referee Armando Villarreal were part of the 36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 video match officials that worked games in Qatar. For the Final on Sunday, Elfath will serve as Fourth Official and Atkins will serve as assistant Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for Argentina-France, while  Nesbitt  and  Parker  have been assigned Reserve AR and Reserve AVAR duties, respectively.

Breaking other barriers, Nesbitt was one of six female referees selected to officiate at the men’s World Cup for the first time. She proudly represented the United States in eight matches, including the historic match between Costa Rica and Germany that was officiated by an all-female crew for the first time in the history of the World Cup. Nesbitt was the offside video assistant referee, joining France's Stéphanie Frappart, Brazil's Neuza Back and Mexico's Karen Diaz.

"At U.S. Soccer, we strive to grow the game in all its capacities. As a long-time member of the referee community, I couldn’t be prouder to see Americans officiating on soccer’s grandest stage,” said U.S. Soccer CEO and Secretary General JT Batson. “Watching Esse Baharmast on the field at the 1998 World Cup inspired my time as a referee. I hope folks across the country are similarly inspired as they’ve watched our officials throughout this World Cup and seen the amazing heights that our U.S. Soccer Referee Program can reach.”

When Elfath takes the field on Sunday for the Final as the fourth official it will be his fourth assignment of the tournament, having manned Portugal vs. Ghana in the opening round, and Cameroon vs. Brazil and Japan vs. Costa Rica in the Round of 16.

Atkins will be earning his tenth assignment when he serves as the assistant VAR for the Final. Earlier in the tournament he served as an assistant referee for the same three matches where Elfath was in the middle, and was the assistant VAR for three first round matches.

Parker joined Atkins as the other assistant referee for the three matches with Elfath, and also was assigned as a Offside VAR for a match. Villareal was assigned the most matches with 12 total, all as either the VAR, assistant VAR or support VAR.

“I am so proud of the U.S. Soccer referees who are representing our country and our Federation so well at the Men’s World Cup,” said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. “I am especially proud that Kathryn Nesbitt was chosen as one of the first ever female referees for a men’s World Cup tournament. And, it is so great to see four of our officials representing the United States during Sunday’s World Cup Final.”

FIFA selected 129 top match officials from all six confederations to referee at the World Cup based on their quality and performances at other FIFA tournaments as well as other international and domestic competitions. The selected officials are five of 31 U.S. Soccer referees that are part of the 2022 FIFA Panel, the world’s highest level of officiating. Selection grants the 31 officials the opportunity to referee at the highest levels of international soccer.

U.S. Soccer’s Referee Program works to support the approximately 140,000 members across the country that service amateur games at both the youth and adult levels. High quality instruction provided by 55 State Referee Associations is essential to U.S. Soccer’s success. For more information on referee education, visit the U.S. Soccer Learning Center .

If you’re interested in registering as a first-time referee, go to U.S. Soccer’s Learning Center to find more information. You may also search for courses in the Learning Center under Courses/Available Courses/First Time Grassroots. You can also sign up for a Grassroots Referee license with your State Referee Committee. Contact information for each SRC is linked here.

U.S. SOCCER REFEREE PHOTOS

Kyle Atkins

• 5 years as a FIFA referee
• 21 years of experience as a US Soccer licensed official total
• Current License Held: FIFA Assistant Referee & FIFA VMO
• 10 assignments in Qatar WC
• Olathe, Kan.

Ismail Elfath

• 7 years as a FIFA referee
• 17 years of experience as a US Soccer licensed official total
• Current License Held: FIFA Referee & FIFA VMO
• 4 assignments in Qatar WC
• Austin, Texas

Kathryn Nesbitt

• 18 years of experience as a US Soccer licensed official total
• Current License Held: FIFA Assistant Referee & PRO VMO
• 11 assignments in Qatar WC
• Rochester, N.Y.

Corey Parker

• 8 years as a FIFA referee
• 23 years of experience as a US Soccer licensed official total
• Edinboro, Pa.

Armando Villarreal

• Current License Held: FIFA Referee, FIFA Video Match Official & PRO VMO
• 12 assignments in Qatar WC
• San Antonio, Texas

U.S. Soccer Referee Assignments at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Match 5: France vs. Australia

Offside VR: Atkins RAR: Nesbitt SBAVAR: Parker

Match 6: Denmark vs. Tunisia

AVAR: Villarreal

Match 11: Germany vs. Japan

Offside VR: Nesbitt

Match 15: Portugal vs. Ghana

Referee: Elfath

Assistant Referee 1: Atkins

Assistant Referee 2: Parker

VAR: Villarreal

Match 21: Tunisia vs. Australia Offside VR: Parker

Match 22: Poland vs. Saudi Arabia

Match 26: Belgium vs. Morocco Offside VAR: Nesbitt Support VAR: Villarreal SBAVAR: Atkins Match 30: Korea Republic vs. Ghana Offside VAR: Atkins SBAVAR: Parker Match 31: Brazil vs. Switzerland AVAR: Villarreal Offside VAR: Nesbitt Match 39: Poland vs. Argentina Offside VAR: Nesbitt Match 43: Japan vs. Spain AVAR: Villarreal Offside VAR: Atkins Match 44: Costa Rica vs. Germany Offside VAR: Nesbitt SBAVAR: Parker Match 46: Korea Republic vs. Portugal Support VAR: Villarreal Match 48: Cameroon vs. Brazil - Round of 16 Referee: Elfath

Assistant Referee 1: Parker

Assistant Referee 2: Atkins

Match 51: England vs. Senegal - Round of 16 Assistant Referee 2: Nesbitt

AVAR: Villarreal Match 53: Japan vs. Croatia - Round of 16 Referee: Elfath

Match 57: Netherlands vs. Argentina - Quarterfinal

RAR: Atkins

SBAVAR: Parker

Match 58: Croatia vs. Brazil - Quarterfinal

Offside VAR: Nesbitt

Match 60: Morocco vs. Portugal - Quarterfinal

Support VAR: Villarreal

Match 61: Argentina vs. Croatia - Semifinal

Offside VAR: Nesbitt SBAVAR: Atkins

Match 62: France vs. Morocco - Semifinal

Support VAR: Villarreal SBAVAR: Parker

Match 63: Croatia vs. Morocco - Third Place Match

Match 64: Argentina vs. France - Final

Fourth Official: Elfath

Offside VAR: Atkins RAR: Nesbitt SBAVAR: Parker

• Footballers
• Media Personalities

2022 FIFA World Cup Referees: Meet All The 36 Refs To Officiate In Qatar

Mukansanga, Frappart and Yamashita

FIFA selected a total of 36 referees from all over the world to officiate at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The list includes thirty-three (33) males and three (3) females; Frances’s Stephanie Frappart, Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita, and Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga who will become the first women to referee at a men’s FIFA World Cup.

Below are the comprehensive names of the referees.

Table of Contents

36 Referees To Officiate At The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup

1. abdulrahman al-jassim.

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Al-Jassim's Profile

• Date of Birth : 14 October 1987
• Age : 36 years old
• Place of birth : Qatar
• Nationality :   Qatari
• International Career : 2013
• League: FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
• Previous Assignments: 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2019 AFC Asian Cup, 2020 AFC Champions League Final, 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, 2019 FIFA Club World Cup

36-year-old Qatari referee, Abdulrahman Al-Jassim has been a full FIFA referee since 2013. In 2017, he was one of the referees for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea and was a Video Assistant Referee at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. 

2. Iván Barton

Barton's Profile

• Date of Birth : 27 January 1991
• Age : 33 years old
• Place of birth : Santa Ana, El Salvador
• Nationality : Salvadoran
• International Career : 2018
• League:  FIFA and CONCACAF( Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football)
• Previous Assignments : 2018 Concacaf Under-20 Championship, 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil

Salvadorian referee, Iván Barton is one of the referees selected to officiate at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He became a FIFA referee in 2018 and has officiated in several tournaments, including the 2018 Concacaf U-20 Championship in the US, and the 2019 FIFA u-19 World Cup in Brazil.

3. Chris Beath

Beath's Profile

• Date of Birth :  17 November 1984
• Age : 39 years old
• Place of birth : Australia
• Nationality : Australian
• International Career :  2011
• League: FIFA
• Previous Assignments : National Youth Championships in 2003 and in 2004, 2002 Kanga Cup, Kirin Challenge Cup contest between Japan and Iceland 2011, 2015 J1 League, 2017Hyundai A-League, 2018 AFC U-23 Championship, 2019 AFC Asian Cup, 2020 Summer Olympics, 2021 FIFA Club World Cup, 2021 FIFA Club World Cup Final

Chris Beath started his international FIFA referee career in 2011 and has officiated in the 2018 AFC Saian Cup in the UAE, 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and 2021 FIFA Club World Cup Final, among others.

4. Raphael Claus

Claus' Profile

• Date of Birth :  6 September 1979
• Age : 44 years old
• Place of birth : Santa Bárbara d’Oeste, State of São Paulo, Brazil
• Nationality : Brazilian
• International Career : 2015
• League: FIFA and South American Football Confederation( CONMEBOL)
• Previous Assignments : 2021 Copa America, 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup

Raphael Claus has been a FIFA referee for 9 years and has officiated many international tournaments, including the 2021 Copa America and the 2019 FIFA Under-20 World Cup. 

5. Matthew Conger

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Conger's Profile

• Date of Birth :   11 October 1978
• Age : 45 years old
• Place of birth : Palmerston North, New Zealand
• Nationality : New Zealand
• Previous Assignments : 2015 Under 20 World Cup, 2017 Under 20 World Cup, 2018 FIFA World Cup, OFC Champions League games

45-year-old New Zealand referee, Matthew Conger was listed as a FIFA referee in  2013. Five years later, he was one of the referees at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Additionally, he has in competitions such as the 2015 Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand, the 2017 Under-20 World Cup in South Korea, and Rio Olympics. 

6. Ismail Elfath

Elfath's Profile

• Date of Birth : 3 March 1982 
• Age : 42 years old
• Place of birth : Casablanca, Morocco
• Nationality : American
• International Career : 2016
• Previous Assignments : 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, 2020 Olympics, 2021 Africa Cup of Nations

The Moroccan-born American referee, Ismail Elfath will be making his FIFA World Cup in Qatar after officiating in various competitions, including The 2019 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Poland, the CONCAFA  Gold Cup, Tokyo Olympics, and the 2021 AFCON.

7. Mario Alberto Escobar Toca

Toca's Profile

• Date of Birth : 19 September 1986 
• Place of birth : Guatemala
• Nationality : Guatemalan
• League: FIFA and Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football ( CONCACAF)
• Previous Assignments : 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final, 2020 CONCACAF Champions League Final, 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup

Mario Escobar is a 36-year-old Guatemalan referee who was listed as a FIFA referee since 2013. Qatar 2022 will be the first he is officiating at the FIFA World Cup. Moreover, he refereed for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup in Costa Rica, the United States, the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League Fina, and the 2019 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Brazil. 

8. Alireza Faghani

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Faghani's Profile

• Date of Birth : 21 March 1978 
• Age : 54 years old
• Place of birth : Kashmar, Iran
• Nationality : Iranian
• International Career : 2008
• Previous Assignments : 2009 AFC President’s Cup Final, 2010 AFC Challenge Cup, 2011 AFC Asian Cup, 2014 FIFA World Cup, 2014 AFC Champions League, 2015 AFC Asian Cup, 2015 AFC Asian Cup Final, 2015 FIFA Club World Cup Final, 2016 Indian Super League Final, 2017 Liga 1, 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2018 AFF Championship, 2019 AFC Asian Cup

Alireza Faghani is an Iranian football referee who has officiated several international and regional competitions such as the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup, 2011 FAc Asian Cup, 2015 FIFA Club  World Cup, 2016 Indian Super League, and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He will be making a second FIFA World Cup appearance in Qatar as one of the 36 referees listed by FIFA.

9. Stéphanie Frappart

Frappart's Profile

• Date of Birth : 14 December 1983
• Age : 40 years old
• Place of birth : Herblay-sur-Seine, France
• Nationality : French
• International Career : 2009
• League : FIFA
• Previous Assignments : 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2019 UEFA Super,  Cup,11 November 2019 second leg of the inaugural Champions Cup, 2020 UEFA Champions League, March 2021 second leg of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, 2022 Coupe de France Final

40-year-old French referee, Stéphanie Frappart is one of three women referees that will officiate at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Besides officiating women’s matches, she has refereed several men’s matches, including the 2020 UEFA Champions League and 2022 Coupe de France Final. 

10. Bakary Gassama

Gassama's Profile

• Date of Birth : 10 February 1979
• Place of birth : The Gambia
• Nationality : Gambian
• International Career : 2007
• League:  FIFA
• Previous Assignments : 2012 Olympic tournament, 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, 2014 World Cup, 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Final, 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2018 FIFA World Cup

The Gambian referee, Bakary Gasama became a FIFA referee in 2007 and for the past 17 years has officiated various international global football competitions such as the London 2012 Olympics, 2012 AFCON, 2013 AFCON, 2014 FIFA World Cup, and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. This is the third time he will be officiating at a FIFA World Cup.

11.  Mustapha Ghorbal

Ghorbal's Profile

• Date of Birth : 19 August 1985 
• Age : 38 years old
• Place of birth : Oran, Algeria
• Nationality :  Algerian
• International Career : 2014
• Previous Assignments : 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, 2019 FIFA Club World Cup, 2020 CAF Champions League Final, 2021 FIFA Arab Cup, 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, 2021 FIFA Club World Cup

Referee Mustapha Ghorbal of Algeria is one of the 32 referees selected by FIFA to officiate at the Qatar 2022 World Cup. He refereed at various international competitions such as the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland, 2019 AFCON in Egypt, 2019 FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar, and 2021 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

12. Victor Gomes

Gomes' Profile

• Date of Birth : 15 November 1982
• Age : 41 years old
• Place of birth : Johannesburg, South Africa
• Nationality : South African
• International Career : 2011
• League:  FIFA and Confederation of African Football(CAF)
• Previous Assignments : 2019 and 2021 edition of Africa Cup of Nations, 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Final

41-year-old South African referee, Victor Gomes will officiate at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He has been a FIFA referee since 2011 and has refereed at the two editions of the African Cup of Nations; Egypt 2019 and Cameroon 2021. 

13. István Kovács

Kovacs' Profile

• Date of Birth : 16 September 1984
• Place of birth : Carei, Romania
• Nationality : Romanian
• International Career : 2010
• Previous Assignments : 2020 UEFA European Football Championship, 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League Final

István Kovács will make his first refereeing FIFA appearance in Qatar after officiating at Euro 2020 and the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League.

14. Ma Ning

Ning's Profile

• Date of Birth : 14 June 1979
• Place of birth : Fuxin, China
• Nationality : Chinese
• Previous Assignments : 2019 AFC Asian Cup

Ma Ning is the second Chinese referee that will be officiating at a FIFA World Cup two decades after Lu Jun did so in 2002. He refereed at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

15. Danny Makkelie

Makkelie's Profile

• Date of Birth :  28 January 1983
• Place of birth : Willemstad, Curaçao
• Nationality : Dutch
• Previous Assignments : 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, 2020 UEFA Europa League Final, 2018 UEFA Europa League Final, 2020 FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Euro 2020

41-year-old Dutch referee, Danny Makkelie has never officiated at a FIFA World Cup, Qatar 2022 will be his first. He refereed at various international competitions such as the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, 2020 UEFA Europa League, UEFA Euro 2020, and 2020 FIFA Club World Cup. 

16. Szymon Marciniak

Marciniak's Profile

• Date of Birth : 7 January 1981 
• Place of birth : Płock, Poland
• Nationality : Polish
• Previous Assignments : 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Final, UEFA Euro 2016, 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2018 UEFA Super Cup

One of the highly rated referees in  Poland, Szymon Marciniak is officiating at the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup after refereeing at the 2018 edition in Russia. He started his official FIFA refereeing career in 2011 and has officiated at several competitions, including the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, UEFA Euro 2016, and 2018 UEFA Super Cup.

17. Said Martínez

Martinez's Profile

• Date of Birth :   7 August 1991
• Place of birth : Tocoa, Honduras
• Nationality : Honduran
• International Career : 2017
• League: FIFA and Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football(CONCACAF)
• Previous Assignments : 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, CONCACAF U-20 Championship, 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup

36-year-old Honduran referee, Said Martinez is a first-timer at the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He became a full international FIFA referee in 2017 and has officiated in competitions such as the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, 2019 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, and 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. 

18. Antonio Mateu Lahoz

Lahoz's Profile

• Date of Birth : 12 March 1977 
• Age : 47 years old
• Place of birth : Algímia d’Alfara, Spain
• Nationality : Spanish
• Previous Assignments : 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2021 UEFA Champions League Final

Antonio Mateu Lahoz is a 47-year-old Spanish referee. He officiated at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and he is one of the referees selected by FIFA for the World Cup in Qatar. 

See Also- 20 Top Strikers To Watch Out For At Qatar World Cup 2022

19. Matonte Cabrera Andres Matias

Matias' Profile

• Date of Birth : 30 March 1988
• Place of birth : Uruguay
• Nationality : Uruguayan
• International Career :
• Previous Assignments : FIFA Arab Cup 2021

36-year-old Uruguayan referee Andres Matonte is one of the 36 referees selected by FIFA to officiate at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. 

20. Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed

Mohamed's Profile

• Date of Birth :   2 December 1978
• Place of birth : Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Nationality : Emirati
• Previous Assignments : 2015 AFC Asian Cup, 2018 FIFA World Cup

Emirati referee made his FIFA World Cup debut at the Russia 2018 World Cup and is one of the referees selected to officiate in Qatar. In addition, he refereed at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia. 

21. Salima Mukansanga

Mukansanga's Profile

• Date of Birth : 25 July 1988
• Age : 35 years old
• Place of birth : Rwanda
• Nationality : Rwandan
• International Career : 2012
• Previous Assignments : 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup,  Olympics, Africa Women Cup of Nations, and CAF Women’s Champions League

35-year-old Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda is one of three women and the first African female selected by FIFA to officiate in Qatar. Also, she was the first woman to referee at the 2022 African Cup of Nations in Cameroon. 

22. Maguette N’Diaye

N'Diaye's Profile

• Date of Birth : 1 September 1986
• Age : 37 years old
• Place of birth :  Senegal
• Nationality : Senegalese
• Previous Assignments : U-20  World Cup in 2019, 2018 African Nations Championship

Senegalese referee, Maguette N’Daiye officiated at the 2018 African Nations Championship, the 2019 Under-20 FIFA World Cup, and the 2021 African Cup of Nations in Cameroon. He will make his FIFA World Cup debut in Qatar.

23. Michael Oliver

Oliver's Profile

• Date of Birth : 20 February 1985 
• Place of birth : Ashington, United Kingdom
• Nationality : British
• International League: 2012- FIFA and 2018- UEAF
• Previous Assignments : 2007 Conference National play-off Final, 2009 League One play-off final, 2013 League Cup final, 2014 FA Community Shield, 2016–17 UEFA Champions League, 2017–18 UEFA Champions League, 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, 2021 FA Cup Final, 2022 UEFA Super Cup

39-year-old English referee, Michael Oliver has been a FIFA referee since 2012, and officiated at several international matches, including the 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Chile, 2016/2017 UEFA Champions League, 2019 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, and 2021 FA Cup Final. He will be officiating at the FIFA World Cup for the first time in Qatar. 

24. Daniele Orsato

Orsato's Profile

• Date of Birth : 23 November 1975
• Age : 48 years old
• Place of birth : Montecchio Maggiore, Italy
• Nationality : Italian
• Previous Assignments : 2014 World Cup Qualifiers, Euro 2012, 2012–13, 2013–14, and 2014–15 UEFA Champions League, 2015–16 UEFA Champions League,  2016–17 UEFA Champions League, 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2019 UEFA Champions League, 2020 UEFA Champions League Final

Referee Daniele Orsato from Italy will officiate at the 2022 FIFA World Cup for the first time in his career. In 2018, he served as the Vidoe Assistant Referee (VAR) for the World Cup match between Croatia and Denmark. Moreover, he refereed at various international football competitions such as the UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA Euro.

25. Kevin Ortega

Ortega's Profile

• Date of Birth :   26 March 1992
• Age : 32 years old
• Place of birth : Callao, Peru
• Nationality : Peruvian
• International Career : 2019
• League: FIFA and South American Football Confederation(CONMEBOL)
• Previous Assignments :

32-year-old Peruvian referee, Kevin Ortega became a FIFA referee in 2019 and officiated his first international match at the  2019 South American Under-17 Soccer  Championship. He is among the 36 referees selected by FIFA to officiate at the World Cup in Qatar. 

26. César Arturo Ramos

Ramos' Profile

• Date of Birth : 15 December 1983
• Place of birth : Municipio de Culiacán, Culiacán, Mexico
• Nationality : Mexican 
• Previous Assignments : 2017 FIFA Club World Cup Final, 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2019 AFC Asian Cup

César Arturo Ramos has been a referee since 2006 and was listed as a FIFA referee in 2014. The 40-year-old Mexican was a center referee at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and will officiate in Qatar come November 2022. 

27. Fernando Rapallini

Rapallini's Profile

• Date of Birth : 28 April 1978 
• Place of birth : La Plata, Argentina
• Nationality : Argentine
• Previous Assignments : 2013 Supercopa Argentina, 2017 Copa Argentina Final, 2018 Supercopa Argentina, 2019 Trofeo de Campeones de la Superliga Argentina, 2015 Recopa Sudamericana, 2020 Recopa Sudamericana,  2020 Copa Libertadores Final, 2015 South American U-17 Championship, 2017 South American U-17 Championship, 2019 South American U-20 Championship, 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, 2019 Copa América, UEFA Euro 2020

Argentine referee, Fernanda Rapallini has been a FIFA referee since 2014 and officiated the 2017 South American Under-17 Championship, 2019 South American Under-20 Championship, 2019 Copa America, and 2020 UEFA Euro.

28. Wilton Sampaio

Sampaio's Profile

• Date of Birth :   28 December 1981
• Place of birth : Teresina de Goiás, State of Goiás, Brazil
• League:  FIFA and South American Football Confederation(CONMEBOL)

42-year-old Brazilian referee, Wilton Sampaio became a FIFA referee in 2013. He will make his FIFA World Cup debut in Qatar. 

29. Daniel Siebert

Siebert's Profile

• Date of Birth : 4 May 1984
• Place of birth : Berlin, Germany
• Nationality : German
• Previous Assignments : 2015 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification, 2021 FIFA Arab Cup

Daniel Siebert became a full FIFA referee in 2015 after replacing Wolfgang Stark. The German officiated the 2015 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification, 2020 European Championship, and 2021 FIFA Arab Cup.

30. Sikzwe Janny

Janny's Profile

• Date of Birth :  1979
• Place of birth : Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia
• Nationality : Zambian
• Previous Assignments : 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, 2016 FIFA Club World Cup Final in Japan, 2017 Africa Cup of Nations Final in Gabon, 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon

After officiating at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Zambian referee, Sikzwe Janny will join 35 other referees for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. His previous assignments include the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup, 2017 AFCON in Gabon,  and 2021 AFCON in Cameroon.

31. Anthony Taylor

Taylor's Profile

• Date of Birth : 20 October 1978
• Place of birth : Wythenshawe, United Kingdom
• Nationality : English
• Previous Assignments : 2015 FA Community Shield, 2015 Football League Cup final, 2017 FA Cup final, 2018 EFL Championship play-off Final, 2020 UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Euro 2020, 2021 UEFA Nations League Final

English referee Anthony Taylor has never officiated at the FIFA World Cup, and FIFA listed him as one of the 36 referees for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He refereed the 2020 UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Euro 2020 and 201, and the 2021 UEFA Nations League.

32. Facundo Tello

Tello's Profile

• Date of Birth :   4 May 1982
• Place of birth : Bahía Blanca, Argentina
• League:  FIFA and South American Football Confederation(CONMEBOL)
• Previous Assignments : 2021 FIFA Arab Cup

Facunda Tello has been listed as a FIFA referee since 2019 and will be officiating at his first FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He is also the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL).

33. Clément Turpin

Turpin's Profile

• Date of Birth : 16 May 1982 
• Place of birth : Oullins, France
• Nationality : French 
• Previous Assignments : 2014 and 2018 World Cup qualifiers, 2010–11 UEFA Europa League, 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, 2018 FIFA World Cup, 2021 UEFA Europa League Final, 2022 UEFA Champions League Final

41-year-old French referee Clément Turpin has been a FIFA referee since 2010. He officiated at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and has been selected for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. 

34. Jesús Valenzuela

Valenzuela's Profile

• Date of Birth :  24 November 1983
• Place of birth :  Valenzuela
• Nationality :  Venezuelan
• International Career :2013
• Previous Assignments : 2011-12 Venezuelan First Division Apertura Tournament

Venezuelan referee, Jesús Valenzuela is making his first FIFA World Cup appearance in Qatar 2022. He is one of the best referees in CONMEBOL.

35. Slavko Vinčić

Vincic's Profile

• Date of Birth : 25 November 1979 
• Place of birth : Slovenia
• Nationality : Slovenian
• Previous Assignments : UEFA Euro 2012, 2020–21 Champions League, 2022 UEFA Europa League Final, Euro 2020

Slavko Vinčić is a 44-year-old Slovenian referee who was listed as a FIFA referee since 2010. He officiated at the UEFA Euro 2020, 2021 UEFA Champions League, 2021 UEFA Europa League, and the 2022 UEFA Europa League. 

The Slovenian will officiate in Qatar as one of the 36 referees chosen by FIFA for the competition.

36. Yoshimi Yamashita

Yamashita's Profile

• Date of Birth : 20 February 1986 
• Place of birth : Nakano City, Tokyo, Japan
• Nationality : Japanese
• Previous Assignments : 2022 AFC Champions League,  2022 J1 League

38-year-old Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita is the first Japanese and one of three women to officiate at the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Furthermore, she was an official at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France and officiated at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

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Tim Dajin a graduate of communication and media studies who loves keeping in touch with reality through research, reading, and writing.

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World Cup referees: Full list of match officials at Qatar 2022 and which English refs are there

There are 36 referees at the 2022 world cup, including three women, two from the premier league, and a texan who now refs in nz.

World Cup referees have already attracted plenty of attention in Qatar since the beginning of the tournament. Most notably the decision to stop the clock more often and increase the number of minutes in stoppage time that has already made an impact on the tournament.

With referees seeking to cut time wasting out of the game, matches at Qatar 2022 are now running closer to 100 minutes. All this in the middle of the domestic club season for many nations, with players barely having had a rest since August.

Referees also appear to have more autonomy over VAR calls. Whereas in the Premier League you are almost guaranteed to see a match official change their mind if the VAR suggests they look at the monitor, in this World Cup it has been quite different.

Mexican official Cesar Ramos was asked to check the TV replay in Denmark’s clash with Tunisia following a late penalty claim. He went over, had a good look, and refused to change his decision. America’s Ismail Elfath, meanwhile, felt he didn’t need VAR to give Cristiano Ronaldo a freak penalty against Ghana.

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Fifa will argue they have got the refereeing standards right, and it is true that we haven’t yet endured anything like the Howard Webb moment of 2010 . Still, there is time yet for an official to make a mess of it and suffer the inevitable abuse that comes with this sport.

There are 36 referees at the World Cup 2022 . Here, i details each official and the big finals they have overseen…

Uefa (Europe)

11 referees | 20 assistants | 11 VARs

• Istvan Kovacs (Romania) – 2022 Uefa Europa Conference League final
• Stephanie Frappart (France) – 2019 Uefa Super Cup
• Danny Makkelie (The Netherlands) – 2018 Europa League final
• Szymon Marciniak (Poland) – Two games at 2018 Fifa World Cup
• Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain) – 2021 Champions League final
• Michael Oliver (England) – 2021 FA Cup final
• Daniele Orsato (Italy) – 2020 Champions League final
• Daniel Siebert (Germany) – 2021 Arab Cup final
• Anthony Taylor (England) – 2017 FA Cup final, 2020 Uefa Super Cup, 2021 Uefa Nations League Final
• Clement Turpin (France) – 2021 Uefa Europa League final, 2022 Uefa Champions League
• Slavko Vincic (Slovenia) – 2022 Europa League final

Europe has 11 referees at this World Cup, including two from England. However, neither Michael Oliver nor Anthony Taylor were given a game to officiate in the first round of group games. There are claims this is punishment by Fifa for England’s stance against discrimination in Qatar.

The 2022 Champions League final referee Clement Turpin is at the tournament, as is Slavko Vincic from the Europa League final, and the Conference League final ref Istvan Kovacs.

France’s Stephanie Frappart became the first woman to officiate at a men’s World Cup when she was appointed fourth official for Mexico’s Group C clash with Poland.

AFC – (Asia)

6 referees | 10 assistants | 4 VARs

• Abdulrahman al-Jassim (Qatar) – 2019 Fifa Club World Cup final
• Chris Beath (Australia) – 2021 Fifa Club World Cup final
• Alireza Faghani (Iran) – 2014 AFC Champions League final
• Ma Ning (China) – One match at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup
• Mohammed Abdulla Mohamed (UAE) – 2015 Asian Cup
• Yoshimi Yamashita (Japan) – 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup, 2020 Summer Olympics

Asia have six referees at this World Cup, including Yoshimi Yamashita – the ref of the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup and 2020 Summer Olympics. Qatar’s Abdulrahman al-Jassim oversaw the 2019 Fifa Club World Cup final, where Liverpool beat Flamengo 1-0 at the Khalifa Stadium thanks to an extra-time goal from Roberto Firmino.

CAF – (Africa)

6 referees | 10 assistants | 2 VARs

• Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda) – 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup, 2022 Africa Cup of Nations
• Maguette Ndiaye (Senegal) – 2021 Africa Cup of Nations
• Bakary Papa Gassama (Gambia) – 2015 Africa Cup of Nations
• Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria) – 2020 CAF Champions League final
• Victor Gomes (South Africa) – 2021 Africa Cup of Nations final
• Janny Sikazwe (Zambia) – 2016 Fifa Club World Cup final, 2017 Africa Cup of Nations final

Africa’s contingent of six referees at this World Cup naturally have plenty of Afcon experience, while Zambia’s Janny Sikazwe oversaw the 2016 Fifa Club World Cup final between Real Madrid and Kashima Antlers.

Rwandan ref Salima Mukansanga has previously worked at the Olympics and the Africa Cup of Nations, and officiated a group game at the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup.

Concacaf – (North/Central America and Caribbean)

5 referees | 12 assistants | 3 VARs

• Mario Escobar (Guatemala) – 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup final, 2020 Concacaf Champions League final
• Ivan Barton (Salvador) – 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup
• Ismail Elfath (United States) – 2019 Fifa U-20 World Cup final, 2020 Olympics, 2022 MLS Cup final
• Said Martinez (Honduras) – Concacaf Gold Cup final
• César Ramos (Mexico) – 2017 Fifa Club World Cup final

Just five referees from the Caribbean, North and Central America appear at this World Cup. This includes American Ismail Elfath who recently oversaw the 2022 MLS Cup final, which Gareth Bale’s LAFC won on a penalty shoot-out against Philadelphia Union. César Ramos took charge of the 2017 Fifa Club World Cup final between Real Madrid and Gremio in Abu Dhabi.

Conmebol – (South America)

7 referees | 15 assistants | 4 VARs

• Raphael Claus (Brazil) – 2021 Copa América third place playoff
• Facundo Tello (Argentina) – 2022 Argentina Champions Trophy final
• Jesus Valenzuela (Venezuela) – 2021 Copa America
• Andres Matonte (Uruguay) – 2021 Arab Cup
• Kevin Ortega (Peru) – 2020 Summer Olympics, 2022 Copa Libertadores
• Fernando Rapallini (Argentina) – 2017 Copa Argentina, 2020 Copa Libertadores final, Euro 2020
• Wilton Sampaio (Brazil) – 2021 Copa América, 2022 Copa do Brasil final

Argentine Néstor Pitana was the man in the middle for the 2018 World Cup final but isn’t at this year’s tournament. Instead, two other Argentines and two Brazilians and make up the seven-person Conmebol contingent at this World Cup.

This includes Pitana’s natural successor Fernando Rapallini, who refereed at Euro 2020 last year. Wilton Sampaio, meanwhile, recently oversaw Flamengo’s penalty shoot-out victory over Corinthians in the 2022 Copa do Brasil final.

OFC – (Oceania)

1 referee | 2 assistants

• Matthew Conger (New Zealand) – 2018 Fifa World Cup

Texas-born Matthew Conger is the only official from the Oceana region as Australia’s Chris Beath comes under the AFC banner. Conger is New Zealand’s leading referee and conducted one game at the 2018 World Cup, where Nigeria beat Iceland 2-0 in Volgograd.

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Meet the referees taking charge of World Cup 2022

History will be made this year as six female match officials travel to a World Cup for the first time in its history.

The role of a match official at a World Cup is often a thankless job.

While players are heaped with praise when they do outstanding work, referees are rarely hailed for doing their job well. Instead, they are routinely lambasted – by players, managers and fans over the slightest of errors.

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The reality is that the high-stakes role requires a comprehensive knowledge of the game’s rules, an elite fitness level – often requiring them to run more than outfield players – and years of hard work.

For World Cup 2022, FIFA has released a list of 36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 video match officials overseeing the video assistant referee (VAR) system.This will be the first World Cup with female match officials – referees Stéphanie Frappart (France), Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda) and Yoshimi Yamashita  (Japan); assistant referees Neuza Back (Brazil), Karen Díaz Medina (Mexico) and Kathryn Nesbitt (US).

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will also see the introduction of the new Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Semi-Automated Offside Technology. The system currently being trialled in the UEFA Champions League group stages is designed to improve the accuracy of offside decisions. Cameras installed under the roof of the stadium track all 22 players recording data points and calculating their exact position on the pitch.

Referees will also utilise goal-line technology, introduced during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The system uses 14 high-speed cameras to create a 3D image animation that can notify the referee immediately if the ball has crossed the line.

Who will referee the 2022 World Cup?

Afc – asian football confederation.

• Six referees
• 10 assistant referees
• Four video match officials

Abdulrahman al-Jassim (Qatar) – The 35-year-old Qatari has been a FIFA referee since 2013 and has officiated several high-profile fixtures. He worked as a VAR official at Russia 2018. He has also refereed at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup final between Liverpool and Clube de Regatas do Flamengo.

Chris Beath (Australia) – Like al-Jassim, Beath made a name for himself on the international stage by refereeing at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Alireza Faghani (Iran) – Hailing from Kashmar in northeast Iran, Faghani played football in the country’s third tier before eventually moving into refereeing. He refereed the 2014 AFC Champions League final, the 2018 World Cup and now plies his trade in Australia’s A-League.

Alireza Faghani, one of the top referees in the world, will become a full-time referee for the 2019/20 @ALeague season! pic.twitter.com/pTpf9ZX8WH — AFC (@theafcdotcom) September 20, 2019

Ma Ning (China) – Ma Ning is only the second Chinese referee to participate in the World Cup.

Mohammed Abdulla Mohamed (UAE) – The Emirati has been a FIFA referee since 2010 and has refereed at the AFC Asian Cup.

Yoshimi Yamashita (Japan) – In April 2022, Yamashita became the first female official to oversee an AFC Champions League match in which she issued three yellow cards to Melbourne City.

“I want it to be seen as perfectly normal for women to referee men’s games, so what is happening in Qatar needs to continue. I feel a certain amount of pressure to win everyone’s trust.”

CAF – Confederation of African football

• Two video match officials

Bakary Papa Gassama  (Gambia) – This will be Gassama’s third World Cup appearance after Brazil 2018 and Russia 2018.

Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria) – The 37-year-old Algerian has refereed several international matches, including the 2020 CAF Champions League final between Egyptian sides Zamalek and Al Ahly, in which he issued two red cards and five yellow cards.

Victor Gomes (South Africa) – A tough-talking no-nonsense referee, Gomes has made headlines on more than one occasion. In 2018, he reportedly turned down a $30,000 bribe to fix a CAF Confederation Cup game between Nigeria’s Plateau United and Algeria’s USM Alger. In the 2021 AFCON final, Gomes sternly told Egyptian superstar Mohammed Salah to stop complaining before sarcastically offering him his whistle.

Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda) – Mukansanga is continuously making history. She is the first woman from her native Rwanda to referee the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the first woman to ever officiate at the African Cup of Nations and now one of the first women to referee at the men’s World Cup.

Janny Sikazwe (Zambia) – Sikazwe boasts an impressive CV, having refereed the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup final and the 2017 AFCON final and becoming the first Zambian referee to officiate a World Cup in 2018.

However, he is perhaps best remembered for incorrectly calling full-time in the 85th and 89th minute in an AFCON clash between Tunisia and Mali in January this year. It later emerged that he had suffered heat stroke and was later taken to hospital.

Maguette Ndiaye (Senegal) – The Senegalese referee officiated several matches at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

CONCACAF – Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football.

• Five referees
• 12 assistant referees
• Three video match officials

Ivan Barton (Salvador) – Iván Barton, aged 30, has officiated at the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, overseeing the semi-final between Jamaica and the United States and the CONCACAF Nations League.

Ismail Elfath (United States) – Born in Morocco, Elfath came to the US when he was 18 years of age after winning a visa lottery. He made his MLS refeering debut in 2011 and since then has become one of the country’s most respected officials, picking up the MLS Referee of the Year award twice in the past three years. He has officiated at several international tournaments, including the semi-final of the 2019 Club World Cup.

Congratulations to Ismail Elfath, the 2022 MLS Referee of the Year! 👏 pic.twitter.com/AugFkcoJ0r — Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 14, 2022

Mario Escobar (Guatemala) – The 36 year old has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2013 and officiated several CONCACAF tournaments.

Said Martinez (Honduras) – At 31 years of age, Said is one of three referees from Central America to officiate at the 2022 World Cup. Said, who also has a degree in Mathematics, refereed the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup final between the United States and Mexico, issuing three yellow cards in extra time.

César Ramos (Mexico) – The 38-year-old Mexican has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2014. He officiated three matches at the 2018 World Cup, including a group stage 1-1 draw between Brazil and Switzerland. During the game, the Brazil players expressed their displeasure with Ramos after he dismissed claims of fouls on two occasions and ruled out any VAR review.

CONMEBOL – South American Football Confederation

• Seven referees
• 15 assistant referees

Raphael Claus (Brazil) – The experienced Brazilian most recently refereed at the 2021 Copa América.

Andres Matias Matonte Cabrera (Uruguay) – The Uruguayan most recently officiated at the Arab Cup in 2021. He oversaw Qatar’s 5-0 quarter-final win over UAE, in which he issued two penalties within eight minutes of each other.

Kevin Ortega (Peru) – At 30, the Peruvian referee is one of the youngest on the plane to Qatar. He has officiated several high-pressure matches, including a semi-final in the 2020 Summer Olympics between Spain and Japan.

Fernando Rapallini (Argentina) – The Argentine boasts a wealth of experience officiating in the Argentinian Primera División and international tournaments. Rapallini made history in 2021 when he became the first South American referee to officiate at a European Championship.

Wilton Sampaio (Brazil) – The 40-year-old has been FIFA-listed since 2013 and most recently officiated at the 2021 Copa América.

Facundo Tello (Argentina) – Tello made a name for himself in Argentina after being selected to referee in the country’s first division after only four matches in the second tier. In 2021, he travelled to Qatar to officiate in the 2021 FIFA Arab World Cup.

Jesus Valenzuela (Venezuela) – The 38 year old was first listed as a FIFA referee in 2013. In July 2021, he officiated the infamous semi-final between Colombia and Argentina in the Copa América, in which Valenzuela dished out 10 yellow cards.

There were 20 (!!!) fouls called in the first half of Argentina-Colombia 🤕 pic.twitter.com/GJEugKppV8 — International Champions Cup (@IntChampionsCup) July 7, 2021

OFC – Oceania Football Confederation

• One referee
• Two assistant referees

Matthew Conger (New Zealand) – Since Australia joined the AFC in 2006, Conger is the only referee representing the OFC at the 2022 World Cup. Originally from Texas, in the US, the part-time teacher refereed one group stage match in the 2018 World Cup.

UEFA  – Union of European Football Associations

• 11 referees
• 20 assistant referees
• 11 video match officials

Istvan Kovacs (Romania) – The veteran goalkeeper is set to officiate at his first World Cup this year, having impressed in recent matches, including the Manchester City versus Real Madrid thriller earlier this year in the Champions League. Kovacs played a smart advantage allowing Bernado Silva to rifle home a shot after Toni Kroos fouled Oleksandr Zinchenko in the build-up.

Stephanie Frappart (France) – Frappart plies her trade in France’s Ligue 1 but has notched several high-profile international appearances recently, including the 2019 UEFA Super Cup between Liverpool and Chelsea. In 2020, she became the first woman to referee a Champions League match. In 2022, she officiated the 2022 Coupe de France final between Nice and Nantes.

👏 You just love to see it 💪 Stephanie Frappart becomes the first woman to referee a men's @ChampionsLeague match 🛣 Way to blaze a trail, Stephanie pic.twitter.com/j20ywQi4Z1 — FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) December 2, 2020

Danny Makkelie (The Netherlands) – The experienced Dutch referee and part-time policeman has long officiated high-profile matches, including the 2018 Europa League final. The four matches he refereed during last year’s European Championships made him a household name. In the semi-final between Denmark and England at Wembley, Makkelie awarded a controversial penalty to England that allowed them to progress to the final.

Szymon Marciniak (Poland) – The 41-year-old Polish referee comes with bags of experience, having notched up three games at the 2016 European Championships and two at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain) – The Spaniard is known for his unorthodox chatty approach to officiating but is highly rated by UEFA, who entrusted him with officiating the 2021 Champions League final. In the 2020 European Championships, Mateu oversaw a fractious 2-2 draw between France and Portugal in the group stages, in which he awarded three penalties and four yellow cards.

Michael Oliver (England) – The English referee comes with plenty of domestic experience, officiating high-profile games, such as the 2021 FA Cup final. Oliver has also become a regular in the Champions League, where he is perhaps best remembered for awarding a penalty to Real Madrid that ultimately led to their progression at the expense of Juventus. The decision sparked the usually calm and collected Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon to accuse Oliver of having a “trash can” for a heart.

Daniele Orsato (Italy) – A mainstay of the Champions League, Orsato has refereed both 2020 Champions League final between Bayern Munich and PSG. He also worked as a VAR referee during the 2018 World Cup.

Daniel Siebert (Germany) – He officiated three matches at the 2020 European Championships and was the referee for the 2021 Arab Cup final between Tunisia and Algeria.

Anthony Taylor (England) – The 44-year-old referee has recently been entrusted with fixtures such as the Nations League final between France and Spain. He refereed Denmark versus Finland match in the 2020 European Championships where Christain Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch. Taylor was praised for spotting the situation quickly and swiftly organising medical treatment.

Clement Turpin (France) – Turpin has officiated at the 2016 and 2020 European Championships and the 2018 World Cup. In the 2021-22 season, he officiated nine matches in the UEFA Champions League, including the final.

Slavko Vincic (Slovenia) – Vincic, a qualified telecommunications engineer, was encouraged to try refereeing by his uncle when he was 20 years old. Eleven years later, he was listed as a FIFA referee. He officiated three matches in the 2020 European Championships. He was the referee for this year’s Europa League final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers.

In 2020 Vincic made headlines after being arrested in connection with a police probe into a prostitution and drugs ring operating in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

Daniele Orsato to referee Opening Match of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™

Italy’s Daniele Orsato has been selected as the referee for the Opening Match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 between Qatar and Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday, 20 November. At 46 years of age, he is one of Europe’s most experienced referees, having been officiating the game since 2010. He was a video assistant referee at the 2018 edition of the FIFA World Cup.

World Cup Final Referees: Full List of Refs From Every Tournament

Being appointed as the referee for the World Cup final is a huge achievement. For most officials who find themselves in this position, they'll look back on the game as the pinnacle of their career, a testament to the fact that they got to the top of their profession, just like the illustrious athletes that surround them (and typically grab all the headlines). Getting the call up doesn't just show that they've officiated well throughout the rest of that tournament; it's also a much wider reflection of their abilities as an official.

In this article, we'll be explaining how soccer referees get to the point of being chosen for a FIFA World Cup Final, arguably the most high-profile match in global football. We'll briefly explain the process of getting to the World Cup Finals as a referee and look at what World Cup referee assignments typically entail, before taking you through a list of all the refs who have plied their trade in this prestigious soccer match over the years.

How Many World Cup Referees Are There For Each Tournament? 

The FIFA World Cup takes place every four years in a different host nation, which means that opportunities for referees to demonstrate their skills on the biggest stage are pretty rare. However, in recent years, the number of referees flown out to officiate at each World Cup has increased; for Qatar 2022, there were a total of 36 referees chosen for the competition. This was the same number of refs used at France 2018, but before then the number of referees was lower (in 2010 and 2014, 25 referees were used instead of 36).

On top of these lead officials are a number of assistants; for Qatar, 69 assistant referees and 24 video assistant referees were also appointed, creating the largest team of officials ever seen at a top global soccer tournament. But how exactly does FIFA (football's world governing body) choose which officials will make it to the final tournament? 

How Are FIFA World Cup Referees Appointed?

Just like the lengthy qualification period that each national team has to go through to make it to the World Cup, the process for choosing referees is also exhaustive.

Typically it starts 2-3 years before a tournament, when national football associations and federations nominate their top referees for FIFA consideration.

To ensure balance and representation, FIFA then bases its choices on regional quotas, selecting a certain number of referees from each continent who have consistently performed well in domestic and European competitions. A shortlist will be created, before a 16-person committee (aided by medical experts) will select the final list of refs for the tournament.

The journey isn't over here, though; a number of fitness tests, technical assessments and performance reviews will continue to take place in the build-up to the tournament to ensure that every referee enters the World Cup Finals at the top of their game. 

World Cup Final Referee 2022: Who Was The Most Recent WC Final Official?

Qatar 2022 was a tournament shrouded in controversy at times, but the football itself was staggeringly good. The final between Argentina and France — which ended 3-3 before being clinched by Argentina on penalties — was labelled by many as the greatest World Cup final in history.

The man in black for that particular game was Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, the first ever Polishman to preside over a World Cup final. Over the years, officials from a total of 33 different nations have been selected to handle the World Cup final in some capacity (including assistant referees). Below, you'll find a list of every single lead ref to have been selected.

World Cup Final Referees: The Full List

Being chosen as the referee for World Cup Finals matches at any stage of the tournament is a huge achievement, but to be selected to take charge of the deciding match of the competition is rightly seen as a huge honour by officials across the world. Below, we'll take you through a list of each World Cup final referee since the tournament was first established back in 1930.

Szymon Marciniak (2022)

Marciniak was the latest in a long line of distinguished officials to have presided over the most prestigious game in the whole of world football. His pedigree is undeniable; as well as reffing the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final, the UEFA Super Cup Final, and the 2023 Champions League Final, Marciniak has also been named 'The World's Best Referee' by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) for the last two years. 

Nestor Pistana (2018)

The 2018 World Cup was a huge disappointment for Argentina, whose hopes of victory were dashed in the quarter finals by Kylian Mbappe's rampant France side. However, the Argentines were at least represented in some capacity in the final, with well-regarded referee Nestor Pistana presiding over the game between France and Croatia, aided by his two Argentine assistant referees Hernan Maidana and Juan Pablo Belatti.

Nicola Rizzoli (2014)

The 2014 World Cup final between Germany and Argentina — won by a single Mario Gotze goal in extra time — was refereed by Italian official Nicola Rizzoli, a Serie A stalwart who worked in the top flight of Italian football from 2002 to 2017, winning a remarkable seven consecutive Serie A Referee of the Year Awards before his retirement.

Howard Webb (2010)

In the summer of 2010, Webb had his work cut out in one of the most dramatic — and certainly the  most aggressive — World Cup finals in modern history. The South Africa final saw Spain's celebrated tiki-taka side (flooded with talents like Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets) sucked into a physical battle with the Netherlands that saw Webb hand out 14 yellow cards (which doubled the previous record of six yellow cards for this fixture, set in 1986). The fact that Dutch legend Johan Cruyff described his team's style as 'anti-football' tells you everything you need to know about this game.

Horacio Elizondo (2006)

World Cup referee assignments are not easy to come by, particularly in the tournament final, but Argentina have produced multiple officials capable of taking on this role. The 2006 final in Germany was presided over by Horacio Elizondo, a decorated ref who retired soon after the game, having achieved all his sporting goals. 

Pierluigi Collina (2002)

Regarded by many as the greatest referee in the history of the game, Collina was a striking, at times fearsome figure who collected IFFHS' Referee of the Year Award on a record six consecutive occasions between 1998 and 2003. Thus, he was a shoo-in for the 2002 World Cup Final between Germany and Brazil.

Said Belqola (1998)

The first ever African official to be selected for a World Cup Final (and the only to date), Said Belqola was a Moroccan ref who worked at multiple international tournaments before being chosen for the now-iconic 1998 Final between France and Brazil (a Zidane-inspired France ran out 3-0 winners).

Sandor Phul (1994)

Hungarian ref Sandor Phul was regularly selected for UEFA Champions League matches during the 1990s (taking charge of the 1997 UCL final between Borussia Dortmund and Juventus). But the peak of his career came in 1994, when he was selected for the World Cup final, hosted in the USA.

Edgardo Codesal Mendez (1990)

The 1990 World Cup in Italy has a special place in the hearts of many English fans, who were inspired by the performances of Paul Gasgoine and co.; but it was West Germany and Argentina who reached the final and experienced the disciplinary skills of Mexican ref Edgardo Codesal Mendez.

Romualdo Arrpi Filho (1986)

The Brazilian ref only took charge of three matches at the 1986 World Cup, but one of them was the World Cup final between Argentina and West Germany, which saw Diego Maradona lead his side to victory.

Arnaldo Cezar Coelho (1982)

Another Brazilian official was in the thick of it for the 1982 WC final between Italy and West Germany. Arnaldo Cezar Coelho made history this year, becoming the first non-European to referee a World Cup final.

Sergio Gonella (1978)

The first Italian referee to take charge of a World Cup final (in 1978), Gonella is one of only two people to have ruled over the final of both the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship.

Jack Taylor (1974)

In 1974, the famous Netherlands side led by Johan Cruyff and his 'Total Football' philosophy were beaten dramatically in the World Cup final by West Germany. The man in charge of the match was Jack Taylor, regarded by many as the greatest English referee of all time.

Rudi Glockner (1970)

German ref Rudi Glöckner took charge of the 1970 World Cup final, where Brazil legend Pele made history by winning his third World Cup as a player, triumphing over Italy on the day.

Gottfried Dienst (1966)

1966 is the year England won their only ever major trophy to date, a continuing source of anguish in football's country of origin. The referee in charge of that famous final against West Germany was Swiss official Gottfried Dienst.

Nikolay Latyshev (1962)

Hailing from the Soveit Union, Nikolay Latyshev took charge of the 1962 WC Final between Brazil and Czechoslovakia.

Maurice Guige (1958)

The final of the 1958 World Cup in Sweden (known as the tournament where Pele burst onto the scene) was ruled over by Frenchman Maurice Guigue.

William Ling (1954)

The first Englishman to referee a World Cup final, Ling officiated the 1954 final, which saw the famed Hungary side of Ferenc Puskas beaten controversially by West Germany.

George Capdeville (1938)

Capdeville was a Frenchman who refereed the 1938 final between Italy and Hungary. The match took place in Paris, making him the only person to referee a WC Final in his home country.

Ivan Eklind (1934)

Aged just 28, Swedish ref Ivan Eklind took charge of the 1934 final between Italy and Czechoslovakia in Rome — he remains the youngest ever World Cup final referee.

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U.S. Soccer referees to officiate FIFA World Cup Final for first time in history

CHICAGO – As the 2022 FIFA World Cup draws to a close this weekend, the five U.S. Soccer referees appointed for the global stage have shined at the highest level, having been assigned 35 times to officiate at a total of 22 different matches during the tournament, and for the first time ever four U.S. Soccer referees will work the FIFA World Cup Final.

Referee  Ismail Elfath , assistant referees  Kyle Atkins ,  Kathryn Nesbitt  and  Corey Parker  as well as Video Assistant Referee  Armando Villarreal  were part of the 36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 video match officials that worked games in Qatar. For the Final on Sunday,  Elfath  will serve as Fourth Official and  Atkins  will serve as assistant Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for Argentina-France, while  Nesbitt  and  Parker  have been assigned Reserve VAR and Reserve AVAR duties, respectively.

Breaking other barriers,  Nesbitt  was one of six female referees selected to officiate at the men’s World Cup for the first time. She proudly represented the United States in eight matches, including the historic match between Costa Rica and Germany that was officiated by an all-female crew for the first time in the history of the World Cup.  Nesbitt  was the offside video assistant referee, joining France’s Stéphanie Frappart, Brazil’s Neuza Back and Mexico’s Karen Diaz.

“At U.S. Soccer, we strive to grow the game in all its capacities. As a long-time member of the referee community, I couldn’t be prouder to see Americans officiating on soccer’s grandest stage,” said U.S. Soccer CEO and Secretary General JT Batson. “Watching Esse Baharmast on the field at the 1998 World Cup inspired my time as a referee. I hope folks across the country are similarly inspired as they’ve watched our officials throughout this World Cup and seen the amazing heights that our U.S. Soccer Referee Program can reach.”

When  Elfath  takes the field on Sunday for the Final as the fourth official it will be his fourth assignment of the tournament, having manned Portugal vs. Ghana in the opening round, and Cameroon vs. Brazil and Japan vs. Costa Rica in the Round of 16.

Villarreal  also served as Support VAR in the third-place match between Croatia and Morocco on Saturday, which ended in a 2-1 win for Croatia.

Atkins  will be earning his seventh assignment when he serves as the assistant VAR for the Final. Earlier in the tournament he served as an assistant referee for the same three matches where Elfath was in the middle, and was the assistant VAR for three first round matches.

Parker  joined Atkins as the other assistant referee for the three matches with Elfath, and also was assigned as a Offside VAR for a match.  Villareal  was assigned the most matches with 12 total, all as either the VAR, assistant VAR or support VAR.

“I am so proud of the U.S. Soccer referees who are representing our country and our Federation so well at the Men’s World Cup,” said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. “I am especially proud that Kathryn Nesbitt was chosen as one of the first ever female referees for a men’s World Cup tournament. And, it is so great to see four of our officials representing the United States during Sunday’s World Cup Final.”

FIFA selected 129 top match officials from all six confederations to referee at the World Cup based on their quality and performances at other FIFA tournaments as well as other international and domestic competitions. The selected officials are five of 31 U.S. Soccer referees that are part of the 2022 FIFA Panel, the world’s highest level of officiating. Selection grants the 31 officials the opportunity to referee at the highest levels of international soccer.

U.S. Soccer’s Referee Program works to support the approximately 140,000 members across the country that service amateur games at both the youth and adult levels. High quality instruction provided by 55 State Referee Associations is essential to U.S. Soccer’s success. For more information on referee education, visit the  U.S. Soccer Learning Center .

If you’re interested in registering as a first-time referee,  go to U.S. Soccer’s Learning Center to find more information.  You may also search for courses in the Learning Center under Courses/Available Courses/First Time Grassroots. You can also sign up for a Grassroots Referee license with your State Referee Committee. Contact information for each  SRC is linked here.

KYLE ATKINS

• 4 years as a FIFA referee
• 21 years of experience as a US Soccer licensed official total
• Current License Held: FIFA Assistant Referee & FIFA VMO
• 7 assignments in Qatar WC
• Olathe, Kan.

ISMAIL ELFATH

• 7 years as a FIFA referee
• 17 years of experience as a US Soccer licensed official total
• Current License Held: FIFA Referee & FIFA VMO
• 4 assignments in Qatar WC
• Austin, Texas

KATHRYN NESBITT

• 18 years of experience as a US Soccer licensed official total
• Current License Held: FIFA Assistant Referee & PRO VMO
• 8 assignments in Qatar WC
• Rochester, N.Y.

COREY PARKER

• 6 years as a FIFA referee
• 23 years of experience as a US Soccer licensed official total
• Edinboro, Pa.

ARMANDO VILLARREAL

• 8 years as a FIFA referee
• Current License Held: FIFA Video Match Official & PRO VMO
• 12 assignments in Qatar WC
• San Antonio, Texas

U.S. SOCCER REFEREE ASSIGNMENTS AT THE 2022 FIFA WORLD CUP

Match 5: France vs. Australia Offside VR: Atkins

Match 6: Denmark vs. Tunisia AVAR: Villarreal

Match 11: Germany vs. Japan AVAR: Villarreal Offside VR: Nesbitt

Match 15: Portugal vs. Ghana Referee: Elfath Assistant Referee 1: Atkins Assistant Referee 2: Parker VAR: Villarreal

Match 21: Tunisia vs. Australia Offside VR: Parker

Match 22: Poland vs. Saudi Arabia AVAR: Villarreal

Match 26: Belgium vs. Morocco Offside VAR: Nesbitt Support VAR: Villarreal

Match 30: Korea Republic vs. Ghana Offside VAR: Atkins

Match 31: Brazil vs. Switzerland AVAR: Villarreal Offside VAR: Nesbitt

Match 39: Poland vs. Argentina Offside VAR: Nesbitt

Match 43: Japan vs. Spain AVAR: Villarreal Offside VAR: Atkins

Match 44: Costa Rica vs. Germany Offside VAR: Nesbitt

Match 46: Korea Republic vs. Portugal Support VAR: Villarreal

Match 48: Cameroon vs. Brazil – Round of 16 Referee: Elfath Assistant Referee 1: Atkins Assistant Referee 2: Parker

Match 51: England vs. Senegal – Round of 16 Assistant Referee 2: Nesbitt AVAR: Villarreal

Match 53: Japan vs. Croatia – Round of 16 Referee: Elfath Assistant Referee 1: Atkins Assistant Referee 2: Parker

Match 58: Croatia vs. Brazil – Quarterfinal Offside VAR: Nesbitt

Match 60: Morocco vs. Portugal – Quarterfinal Support VAR: Villarreal

Match 61: Argentina vs. Croatia – Semifinal Offside VAR: Nesbitt

Match 62: France vs. Morocco – Semifinal Support VAR: Villarreal

Match 63: Croatia vs. Morocco – Third Place Match Support VAR: Villarreal

Match 64: Argentina vs. France – Final Fourth Official: Elfath Offside VAR: Atkins

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Law 5 - The Referee

Blog about the man in the middle: appointments, analysis, discussions and much more. You are welcome.

Friday 2 December 2022

World cup 2022 - referee appointments for round of 16 (4 december).

Second set of referee assignments for Round of 16, games to be played on 4 December. 

21 comments:

Well Barton got a drastic improvement in the quality of AR too.

AR2. Gotta love voice to text.

So AR2 Zeegelaar has been dropped after his mistake in BRA-SUI. Seems a bit unfair to allow Moran to continue but reject Zeegelaar as Moran also wrongly allowed a goal in GER-JPA.

The classic management by FIFA, AR2 couldn't be appointed again after that blatant mistake and so they appoint Kathryn Nesbitt (USA). In any case, very likely she wont be worse... BTW very good and deserved management for Barton, it was very easy to predict him for that game, on paper among the least challenging Round of 16, and perfect for him. I was right with Valenzuela as well, after first game something big again should have followed. We see again Soto as VAR, hopefully in a good performance this time.

So committee evaluated that penalty as correct?

Nesbitt seems to be a normal appointment as a reserve from the same confederation after breaking the past history of eliminating the entire crew.

What a cynical and insulting comment. Have you seen more performances by Zeegelaar than the two at this World Cup? If the mistake was that blatant, why did many miss it live and it took a lot of time for them to understand what had happened? It was a big mistake, but we have seen several poor AR calls. Nesbitt is a good AR from what I know, but throwing Zeegelaar under the bus when performance principle does not seem to matter in some other cases to appoint a third female AR straight to the KO stage is most likely what FIFA would consider "progress". Regardless whether or not the performances of Back and Díaz were sufficient. "very likely she won't be worse" is an insult to both Nesbitt and Zeegelaar and it saddens me to read something like that on this blog.

I did pretty good with predictions in the group stage. 9th place in standings. But now I start with a solid 0/4 :))) Hope I'll guess corectly some of the other 4 games.

I had Valenzuela for FRA-POL, and Barton for ENG-SEN, and I swipped them.....

So far, in my opinion, the ones going home after the group stage are: Faghani Al Jassim Ma Ning Beath Yamashita Sikazwe Gassama N'Diaye Mukansanga Gomes Conger Escobar Martinez Ortega Matonte Rapallini Makkelie Siebert Kovacs Frappart Tello Those left in competition: Abdulla Hassan Ghorbal Claus Sampaio (depending on NED-USA) Valenzuela (depending on FRA-POL) Barton (depending on ENG-SEN) Elfath Ramos Marciniak (depending on ARG-AUS) Mateu Lahoz Turpin Vincic Taylor Oliver Orsato If I forgot a name, I apologize!

Escobar, Martinez, Matonte and Ortega will definitely not go home directly after the group stage - they are already appointed as fourth officials in the Round of 16. Usually, the "mere" fourth officials leave the tournament after the Round of 16.

One more remark: I wouldn't be surprised to see Madame Frappart again in the 3rd place game (depending on the success of the French national team).

Frappart is staying

Makkelie, Rapallini, Faghani, definitely not out yet

I think some factions will want Frappart on the 3rd place game but maybe some votes will switch now that they "made history." And would FIFA want a possible controversy at the end of the tournament? Or adding to the perception that the 3rd place game is meaningless by not using a normal referee crew? And depending on who wins, there are women referees who are not from France. Some had already predicted Frappart directly to the 3rd place game once all 3rd round games were meaningful.

Absolutely no idea why Makkelie, AI-Jassim, Faghani, Rapallini are out in your opinion. I also doubt many other names you raised.

For France vs Poland, the referee probably does not to be entirely fit, because the game will be mostly played on just one half of the pitch. Do you think this thesis was included in FIFA considerations?

Not entirely fit? No. Could fast versus slow teams tip an assignment one way or the other? Yes, after other things are considered.

Makkelie out and Elfath in ???

I think Elfath may get luckier than he would have in past years with the teams that advanced and the African/Asian teams likely to reject a European referee against a European team. Makkelie surely cannot be eliminated yet because (besides Orsato) the other top Europeans also have their teams still in. So who gets squeezed out from Europe will depend on game scores not the top rankings right now.

Thank you for writing a comment on our blog!

Daniele Orsato to referee Opening Match of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™

Italy’s Daniele Orsato has been selected as the referee for the Opening Match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 between Qatar and Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday, 20 November. At 46 years of age, he is one of Europe’s most experienced referees, having been officiating the game since 2010. He was a video assistant referee at the 2018 edition of the FIFA World Cup.

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World cup semifinal ref assignments confirmed — every team feels cheated and wronged.

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After a controversial and emotionally charged quarterfinal round (who could've predicted that?), the 2022 FIFA World Cup semifinal referees have been announced before Tuesday and Wednesday's matches of Argentina vs. Croatia and France vs. Morocco, respectively.

World Cup semifinal referees

On Tuesday, the Argentina vs Croatia ref is Italian Daniele Orsato. You know he's legit because he took charge of Qatar's opener and Ecuador won it 2-0. He was also in charge of Argentina's victory over Mexico.  

He famously took charge of the 2020 Champions League Final when Bayern Munich beat PSG.  

pic.twitter.com/c0qmkF3YCd — FIFA Media (@fifamedia) December 11, 2022

On Wednesday, the France vs Morocco ref is Mexican César Ramos. This is the 38-year-old's fourth match in Qatar. He took charge of a scoreless draw between Denmark and Tunisia, Morocco's upset of Belgium and Portugal's 6-1 thrashing of Switzerland in the last-16.

pic.twitter.com/w2MKBTmwI4 — FIFA Media (@fifamedia) December 12, 2022

Who will referee the World Cup final?

On Monday, FIFA made some decisions with regards to who will referee the World Cup final.

The most-talked about game of the quarters was undoubtedly the "Battle of Lusail" between Argentina and the Netherlands. Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz whistled 48 fouls, dished out 14 yellow cards and a red in one of the greatest World Cup matches ever. It was so feisty that Lahoz wasn't handed any further games so he's going home. 

But Brazilian Wilton Sampaio, who took charge of France vs. England, could potentially play a role in the final after FIFA told him to stick around. The English were heavily critical of Sampaio after the match with both Harry Maguire and Jude Bellingham calling him out, but maybe Sampaio will offer a sympathetic eye to Les Bleus tactic of fouling-on-sight in their own area in the final. 

Argentine referee Facundo Tello, at the center of Morocco's upset of Portugal, is also going home. Tello was accused of knocking Portugal out of the tournament by both Bruno Fernandes and Pepe, who said FIFA's handing Argentina the Cup because Tello was obviously weakening the other side of the bracket by disrupting Portugal's second-half rhythm. That's one way to accept defeat.

English referee Michael Oliver is also out after his performance during Croatia's upset of Brazil. The Canarinho didn't complain much because they knew it wasn't Oliver's responsibility to track runners in the 117th minute. 

His compatriot Anthony Taylor, who took charge of two group stage matches, is still in contention for the final.

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FIFA Referees and the World Cup Selection Process

• Referee Grades Explained

Making the Cut

Importance of Fitness

• FIFA’s push for referee professionalism

World Cup Selection Process

What is a fifa referee.

While referees at all competition levels (local, national, international) are associated with FIFA, only those that have achieved the highest qualification level can officiate in international FIFA matches. All referees affiliated with FIFA have a designated grade and must advance in grade in order to referee higher level matches. Referees generally begin as Grade 8, except especially young candidates (younger than 15 years old), who begin as Grade 9. Only Grade 1 referees can serve as the head referee on formal international matches and Grade 2 referees as the linesman.  

Referee Grades Explained [1] [2]

A more in depth description of referee grades and requirements from the US Soccer Federation can be found here .

Grade 1 referees are the few that have survived the rigorous process. Of the 80,000 referees in the United States, there are only 7 head referees on the FIFA men’s list. [3]  FIFA referees must be older than 25, but required to retire at 45, so it is important for referees to rise through the ranks quickly in order to have a long lasting FIFA career. [4]

Success as a referee is more than just knowing the rules of the game, and for this reason, upgrading is a well-rounded process.  Referees must move up the ranks by officiating a minimum number of games, passing written and fitness tests, and earning the recommendations of assessors. A failure in any one of the requirements completely prevents a referee from advancing grades. “You can have a referee who will pass the test with 100 percent written test, pass the physical test at 99 or 100 percent and you put them in the middle of the field and they can’t find the field with their two hands and a seeing-eye dog,” says Ric Olivas, a longtime referee and member of the California State Referee Committee. [5] A referee may know all the rules, but without charisma or personality, they will be ineffective in enforcing the laws of the game.

When former FIFA assistant Thomas Bobadilla was asked what qualities make a successful referee, he responded:

Regardless of the level of officiating referees need to be good at connecting with people so they can be seen by players and coaches as a partner who will help have a safe, fair and fun game; fit to be able to keep up with play and have a good chance of influencing good behavior with presence; ability to read the game in terms of technical, physical and mental skills of the players in order to apply the appropriate level of foul recognition; and the wits to help resolve conflict before it becomes ugly to the game.” -Thomas Bobadilla, former FIFA assistant referee  [6]

His full interview with US Referee Connnection can be found here .

As Bobadilla mentioned, fitness is a critical part of succeeding as a referee. Many think soccer players have it tough – they play for 90 minutes, without any timeouts, rare substitutions, and a short halftime break. They can run upwards of 7 miles a game. However, a referee’s job is even harder. They must anticipate the action of play and position themselves in order to make the right calls. Many times, this means outrunning players that can be half their age, and according to data from the US Soccer Federation, they run an average of 12 miles a game.

To prove their physical aptitude, FIFA referees must pass 2 intensive fitness tests that tests both speed and stamina. The first fitness test requires referees to run 40 meters 6 times. This must be completed in 6.2 seconds for a male referee. He is allowed 1 minute and 30 seconds between each sprint. The second test examines stamina in repeated high-intensity runs. He must run 150 meters in 30 seconds, and then must walk 50 meters in 35 seconds. This is repeated 20 times, which is equivalent to 10 laps around a track field. [7]

Unlike like most soccer players, though, referees don’t have professional trainers. They must make time outside their day jobs to stay in top physical condition. For example, Brian Hall, the last American referee to officiate in the World Cup, exercised 4 hours of day with interval training, weights, and jogging 2 years leading up to the World Cup. According to Hall:

“It’s not an easy task competing with the best players in the world.” -Brian Hall, former US FIFA referee    

Life as a FIFA Referee

For many FIFA officials, refereeing is not a full-time job. Although French officials are among the best paid in Europe and can earn an average of €73,000-per-season, referees in other countries do not make this much. The table below shows a breakdown of how much officials earn per domestic league game: [8]

World Cup referees make $50,000 for the tournament, which spans over 2 months. While this is a sizable sum, this is only awarded to the 10 best FIFA referees. Not all FIFA referees are granted this type of financial reward.

Many referees hold full-time or part-time in addition to refereeing international matches. Scottish official Craig Thomson worked as a full-time solicitor and FIFA referee until he could no longer balance the two. Thomson set his sights on being selected for the World Cup and decided to become only a part-time solicitor as a result.

“I was a full-time solicitor who went part-time as I knew I couldn’t balance the law and football unless I adjusted my lifestyle. My wife and family had to put up with domestic life being disrupted because of my football schedule.” -Craig Thomson, FIFA referee and 2014 World Cup candidate

Thomson is not the only referee that has been forced to make a major decision about his career outside of soccer. Brian Hall cut back on his 8-to-7 office job as a vice president for procurement at Visa and a software director in physical preparation for the World Cup. Others, like Elias Bazakos who was named to the FIFA list of referees in 2012, sacrificed soccer. After working 1 year in the MLS, Elias took a 4-year sabbatical to finish his medical residency. He now works a neurologist in Minneapolis. [9]

FIFA’s Push for Professionalism

In August 2010, FIFA President Sepp Blatter announced that only full-time referees will be chosen for the 2014 World Cup. Blatter claims,

“We must do something for the top referees. You can’t have non-professional referees in professional football.” -Sepp Blatter, FIFA President

This change was instigated by a series of high-profile errors by World Cup referees in South Africa, where just two of the 30 selected officials listed refereeing as their full-time job. In South Africa, the two professionals (Howard Webb of England and Yuichi Nishimura of Japan) were rewarded by being selected to officiate in the World Cup final – Webb as the head referee and Nishimura as the fourth official. Webb took an extended leave of absence from his job as a policeman because the EPL helps to fund a roster of professional match officials.

However, not all agree with Blatter on this matter. Maxwell Calloway, a contributor on the Yahoo Voices network, argues that referees have a much simpler “working day” than players and are capable of holding another job. Many referees have part-time or full-time jobs and make 50 to 100 percent more at their “real jobs” than from officiating. Calloway believes that unless FIFA can compensate for this income gap as well as provide the same health benefits, pension and retirement funds, this is an unfair demand.

World Cup referees are chosen under FIFA regulation. The process lasts 3 years and is managed by the FIFA Refereeing Department and FIFA Referee Assistance Program (RAP). Referees are chosen in teams of 3, with one designated head referee and two assistant referees.

The selection process for the 2014 Brazil World Cup began with the Club World Cup in Japan when referees of the tournament were examined to see if they were ready to be candidates for 2014. Based on referee performance, the FIFA Refereeing Department created a list of the 52 most elite referee teams. However, this list will be open until 2014 – if a referee does not pass fitness tests or fails in another manner, he will no longer be considered.

Massimo Busacca is a former FIFA referee and now head of the FIFA Referee’s Department. Busacca, who refereed for 22 years and officiated at more than 100 top-level international matches, will lead the committee in charge of selecting the referees for 2014. According to Busacca, important factors to consider include testing of the game’s rules and regulations and physical and mental preparedness. Busacca’s focus for 2014 is on training:

“My priority is to create this group of elite referees, and we want to work in a professional way. We want to improve them like players are improving day-by-day through training sessions.”

Busacca sees the World Cup referees as an additional national team and himself as its coach. In an interview with Fifa.com , he explains, “We must be like a football team, must live and breathe football every day.” [10]

RAP was first introduced in 2007 and used in preparation for the 2010 World Cup to professionalize referees at both the national and international level. [11] Fifty-four referee teams went into the inaugural program and had their performances at FIFA tournaments evaluated. The program consisted of monthly fitness monitoring, psychological analyses of game demeanor, and seminars on the laws of the game. For the 30 teams selected to officiate in the World Cup, sports psychologists helped the officials to develop a personalized strategy to with the pressures. RAP instructors also maintain close contact with referees throughout the World Cup to discuss concerns.

2014 World Cup candidates met in Zurich in September 2012 for a workshop focused on their fitness, medical information, theory, and match analysis. Watch highlights from the workshop in the video below:

The following is the list of referees that was selected for the 2014 World Cup by region. Notable was the first American referee to be selected since 2002. [12]

Asia: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan), Yuichi Nishimura (Japan), Nawaf Shukralla (Bahrain), Ben Williams (Australia)

Africa: Noumandiez Doue (Ivory Coast), Bakary Gassama (Gambia), Djamel Haimoudi (Algeria)

CONCACAF: Joel Aguilar (El Salvador), Mark Geiger (United States), Marco Rodriguez Moreno (Mexico)

South America: Enrique Osses (Chile), Nestor Pitana (Argentina), Wilmar Roldan (Colombia), Sandro Ricci (Brazil), Carlos Vera Rodriguez (Ecuador)

Oceania: Peter O’Leary (New Zealand)

Europe: Felix Brych (Germany), Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey), Jonas Eriksson (Sweden), Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands), Milorad Mazic (Serbia), Pedro Proenca (Portugal), Nicola Rizzoli (Italy), Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain), Howard Webb (England)

A video on a conference for referee preparation for the 2014 World Cup:

Return to World Cup Referees main page

[1] Referee Grades. United States Soccer Federation. http://www.kicking-back.com/docs/RefereeGrades.pdf .

[2] USSF Referee Grades Explained. US Youth Soccer. 2012. http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/referees/gradesexplained/ .

[3] Football Officials – Referees. Fifa.com. 2013. http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=usa/footballofficials/referees/peoplekind=ref.html .

[4] Park, Madison. World Cup referees outrun players. CNN Health. 4 June 2010. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/06/04/world.cup.referees.fitness/

[5] Rosano, Nicholas. Referee Week: Road to the professional ranks a long one for aspiring referees. MLSsoccer.com. 15 May 2013. http://m.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/05/15/referee-week-road-professionarl-ranks-long-one-aspiring-referees#

[6] Interview with Thomas Babadilla. US Referee Connection. 2013. http://www.usrefereeconnection.com/interviews#!thomas-bobadilla/c1vag

[7] Park, Madison. World Cup referees outrun players.

[8] Bairner, Robin. Revealed: How Much Referees are Paid in Each European Country. Goal. 4 March 2011. http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1786/fifa/2011/03/04/2379063/revealed-how-much-referees-are-paid-in-each-european-country

  [9] Nelson, Kyle. Elias Bazakos Named to the FIFA List of Referees for 2012. IMSoccer News. 9 March 2012. http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2012/03/09/elias-bazakos-named-to-the-fifa-list-of-referees-for-2012/

  [10] Busacca: We must give referees all they need. FIFA.com. 22 December 2011. http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/footballdevelopment/technicalsupport/refereeing/news/newsid=1560900/

  [11] Approval for Refereeing Assistance Programme and upper altitude limit for FIFA competitions. FIFA.com. 15 December 2007.  http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/news/newsid=660747/

13 thoughts on “ FIFA Referees and the World Cup Selection Process ”

How are the officials chosen for games at the World Cup?

I myself am trying to get into refereeing profession, this article was a great help for me. Thank You. Also I am proud to be into a profession where the game is getting to new levels everyday. The way FIFA is treating the refs with good allowance and wages is just great. I am excited to officiate a match one day.

BTW 😛 You can check the Refs salaries: https://fifaworldcupmania.com/fifa-world-cup-2022-referees-salaries.html

This is also one of the reason to get into this profession 😛

Am to get this informatio, I find it helpful to me as a junior referee. Thanks and research more .

I love this football news

The common language of soccer players isn’t spoken, but a collection of hand signals and gestures. They shake their arms to signal a hand ball, tug their jerseys to convey that an opponent has been grabbing their kit, or hold up imaginary cards to insist that a caution-worthy infraction has taken place. At the World Cup, where players from 32 countries speak dozens of languages, there is often no other shared way to communicate with others or the referee.

This year in Russia, the Video Assistant Referee system, or VAR, has joined the officiating teams. It is monitored by remotely headquartered rules officials who watch the match with dozens of camera angles and chirp into earpieces of referees when they spot potential mistakes. It is the first use of technology in the game on this scale. And it has already had a major influence on the tournament.

In other words, whether or not we agree with VAR is secondary to the fact that the World Cup succeeded in making us more informed about its benefits and drawbacks.

Whether or not VAR takes off in world football remains to be seen, but whatever the decision may be, its implementation in the World Cup is a step in the right direction.

Is it legal to have guy refereing a game from one of the playing sides or tems playing on that day?

I am very much interested to know about the first woman Referees of Fifa. Can you please let me know details? Thanks.

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Referees are subject to fitness tests that few World Cup spectators would be able to pass, and some World Cup players themselves might even have a bit of trouble.

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The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men’s national association football teams. Keep posting such helpful blog.

Nicely laid out each and every process of FIFA referees and the world cup selection. In my opinion, this is the BEST process of selecting referees as only those referees get the chance of refereeing FIFA International matches who have the highest qualification level.

Here is a list of all of the referees who will be refereeing in the 2014 FIFA World Cup matches http://www.fifaworldcup2014livestream.com/2014/03/who-are-2014-fifa-world-cup-referees.html

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World Cup Referee Assignments To Be Announced Friday - 2002-05-24

The referee assignments for the first 32 games of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan will be announced on Friday following the FIFA Referee's Committee meeting in Seoul. The officials for the final 16 first round games will be announced at a later date.

Seventy-two officials, 36 referees and 36 assistant referees, were selected to officiate at the 2002 World Cup. Not more than one referee was selected from any one national association. The 72 match officials selected for the World Cup were chosen based on their performance ratings over the past few years.

American referee Brian Hall, who is the first U.S.-born official ever selected to referee in the World Cup, is scheduled to referee a first-round match in Japan. Hall has been a U.S. Major League Soccer referee since the league's inception in 1996. He reached the pinnacle of world officiating in 1992 when, at the age of 31, he was named to U.S Soccer's International Panel of FIFA Referees.

As a FIFA referee, Hall has traveled to 27 different countries to apply his trade.

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Poland’s Marciniak to referee World Cup final

Friday, December 16, 2022

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Polish referee Szymon Marciniak has been appointed to take charge of the FIFA World Cup final between France and Argentina at Lusail Stadium in Qatar on Sunday.

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The 41-year-old official from Plock, who has been an international referee since 2011, will be accompanied by assistant referees and compatriots Paweł Sokolnicki and Tomasz Listkiewicz.

CORE graduates

Marciniak is the first referee from Poland to officiate at a World Cup final. Along with Listkiewicz, he is a graduate of UEFA’s long-standing Centre of Refereeing Excellence (CORE) programme, which has prepared considerable numbers of promising young match officials for an international refereeing career.

Marciniak and Listkiewicz attended the very first CORE course in 2010.

Impressive career

A former footballer who played in midfield for Polish top-flight outfit Wisła Płock, Marciniak took up full-time refereeing in 2006.

He adds the World Cup final to an impressive list of club and national team assignments which include the 2018 UEFA Super Cup match and the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship final, as well as duty at UEFA EUROs 2016 and 2020 and the 2018 World Cup.

When he was selected for the UEFA EURO 2016 team in France, Marciniak was the first CORE graduate to referee at a EURO final tournament.

Tomasz Listkiewicz's father Michal Listkiewicz was an international referee who also served as a linesman at the 1990 World Cup final between West Germany and Argentina in Rome.

Marciniak has been part of a strong, solid and united European refereeing team at the Qatar World Cup. This continent has provided eleven referees, 20 assistant referees and eleven video assistant referees (VAR) for the tournament.

Qatar’s CORE link

Meanwhile, the three match officials from Qatar selected for Saturday’s third-place match between Morocco and Croatia have also benefitted from UEFA’s refereeing expertise and contribution to developing referees beyond Europe.

Referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim and assistant referees Taleb Al Marri and Saoud Ahmed Almaqaleh all gathered crucial experience and knowledge at UEFA CORE courses which has stood them in good stead along their career pathways.

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2024 Concacaf Champions Cup Referee Appointments: Quarterfinals Second Leg

Miami, FL – Concacaf has announced the Referees appointed for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup second-leg Quarterfinal matches taking place on April 9 and 10, 2024.

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2024

Tigres UANL (MEX) vs Columbus Crew (USA) vs

REF:      BRYAN LOPEZ (Guatemala)

AR1:     LUIS VENTURA (Guatemala)

AR2:      HUMBERTO PANJOJ (Guatemala)

4TH:      KEYLOR HERRERA (Costa Rica)

VAR:     TATIANA GUZMAN (Nicaragua)

VAR1:    DANEON PARCHMENT (Jamaica)

Club America (MEX) vs New England Revolution (USA)

REF:      SAID MARTINEZ (Honduras)

AR1:     WALTER LOPEZ (Honduras)

AR2:      CHRISTIAN RAMIREZ (Honduras)

4TH:      JULIO LUNA (Guatemala)

VAR:     RICARDO MONTERO (Costa Rica)

VAR1:    BENJAMIN PINEDA (Costa Rica)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2024

CF Pachuca (MEX) vs CS Herediano (CRC)

REF:      OSHANE NATION (Jamaica)

AR1:     CALEB WALES (Trinidad and Tobago)

AR2:      OJAY DUHANEY (Jamaica)

4TH:      VICTOR RIVAS (USA)

VAR:     DANEON PARCHMENT (Jamaica)

VAR1:    TATIANA GUZMAN (Nicaragua)

CF Monterrey (MEX) vs Inter Miami CF (USA)

REF:      IVAN BARTON (El Salvador)

AR1:     DAVID MORAN (El Salvador)

AR2:      HENRI PUPIRO (Nicaragua)

4TH:      ISMAEL CORNEJO (El Salvador)

VAR:     BENJAMIN PINEDA (Costa Rica)

VAR1:    RICARDO MONTERO (Costa Rica)

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