April 10 – FIFA has unveiled the match officials for the 2026 World Cup, assembling what it says is the largest refereeing team ever appointed for the tournament.
A total 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials have been selected, hailing from all six confederations and spanning 50 of FIFA’s 211 Member Associations. FIFA said the selection process has been three years in the making, tracking performances across domestic and international competitions.
Notably, no Iranian officials made the cut.
Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer, said: “The selected match officials are the very best in the world. They were part of a wider pool of officials that was identified and monitored over the past three year. Their performances in domestic and international matches were regularly assessed.”
Collina added that preparation will now intensify ahead of the tournament, which kicks off on June 11.
“Our goal is to ensure that they’re in optimal physical and mental condition when they arrive in Miami on 31 May,” he said, confirming that referees will undergo daily training supported by fitness coaches, medical staff and match analysts.
The scale of the officiating team needed to grow in order to match the expanded nature of the 2026 competition, which will span 48 teams and 104 matches. “It’ll be the largest FIFA Team One ever, with 41 more match officials than at Qatar 2022,” Collina noted. “Each of them must be ready to be appointed and to contribute actively to ensuring that the refereeing at the World Cup is a success.”
He also confirmed the continued integration of female officials at the highest level. “The fact that six women match officials have been selected continues a trend that was started four years ago in Qatar,” he said.
From an operational standpoint, FIFA’s update said Miami will serve as the central base, with video match officials later relocating to Dallas and the International Broadcast Centre. Goal-line technology, enhanced semi-automated offside systems and connected ball technology will all be in use.
“For the first time, fans will be able to see things from the referee’s on-field perspective,” Collina said, referencing the rollout of body cameras supported by AI-powered stabilisation software.
FIFA Director of Refereeing Massimo Busacca underlined the long-term planning behind the appointments.
“The road to the FIFA World Cup 2026 began immediately after Qatar 2022,” he said. “All candidates were closely evaluated to ensure that they achieve the highest possible standards.”
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]