Former Premier League and FIFA referee Mark Clattenburg has claimed that an Italian referee is likely to officiate the 2026 World Cup final, a decision he says would "upset a lot of people". Speaking on the Daily Mail's Whistleblowers podcast, Clattenburg pointed to the influence of Italian officials in top refereeing positions as a key factor.
Italian dominance in refereeing hierarchy
Clattenburg noted that FIFA President Gianni Infantino is Italian, Pierluigi Collina chairs the FIFA Referees Committee, and Roberto Rosetti heads UEFA's refereeing department. "I am hearing again that it could be an Italian referee," Clattenburg said. "Infantino's Italian, Collina's Italian. Most of the power in the refereeing and wider football world is Italian."
If an Italian referee is appointed, it would mark the fourth time since 1978 that a referee from Italy has taken charge of the World Cup final. The only Italian referee at the 2026 tournament is Maurizio Mariani, 44, from Rome, who has officiated three matches so far: Saudi Arabia's draw with Uruguay, Colombia's win over DR Congo, and Brazil's victory over Japan in the Round of 32.
Concerns over fairness
Clattenburg emphasised that his criticism is not about Mariani's competence but about fairness. "I am not saying an Italian doesn't deserve it, but there's an awful lot of talented referees that could referee that match," he said. He argued that FIFA must keep all six confederations happy and that selecting another Italian would raise questions about whether there are no other qualified referees.
The situation is further complicated by recent controversies at the 2026 World Cup, including the case of USA's Folarin Balogun. Balogun received a straight red card in the Round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but FIFA suspended his automatic ban after US President Trump personally questioned the red card with FIFA President Infantino.
Limited pool of candidates
With France, England, and Argentina still in the tournament, leading officials from those nations may only become available if their teams are eliminated. Additionally, English referees are not permitted to officiate Argentina matches due to political history between the two countries, and vice versa. This further narrows the pool of candidates for the final.
Clattenburg concluded that if an Italian referee is chosen, "it would be a big shock to me" given the recent events. He stressed that while Mariani may be deserving, the optics of another Italian appointment could fuel accusations of preferential treatment.
