The World Cup 2026 is the biggest tournament in the competition's illustrious history, with 48 teams contesting a total of 104 games this summer. As such, this year's edition features more referees than ever before, with 51 officials selected to take charge of matches across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The pool of referees is made up of officials from all six confederations, with Europe providing the most with 15, followed by South America with 12. The referees who have made it to North America are the finest in the game, having been chosen by FIFA after three years of meticulous assessment of performances.
Who Are the World Cup Referees?
Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor are by far the two most recognisable names to UK football fans. The pair, widely regarded as England's two finest officials, are vastly experienced in both the Premier League and the Champions League. Oliver and Taylor were both involved in the last World Cup in Qatar as well as the previous two editions of the European Championships. Their inclusion means that England is one of just six countries to have more than one referee in the tournament, with only Brazil and Argentina boasting more, with three apiece.
Polish referee Szymon Marciniak may also be familiar to viewers, having established himself as one of the leading officials in the Champions League. Marciniak's notable appointments include overseeing the World Cup final in 2022 and the Champions League final in 2023, making him just the second referee in history to take charge of both finals in the same season.
The names of François Letexier, Clément Turpin, Danny Makkelie, and Felix Zwayer may also be of note to fans who regularly tune into Europe's leading club competition. FIFA's list of World Cup referees also includes two women: Tori Penso from the United States and Katia Itzel García from Mexico. Penso was in charge of the Women's World Cup final in 2023 and will become the first American woman to officiate at a men's World Cup when she takes to the field. García, meanwhile, was involved in the Women's World Cup three years ago and the Olympics a year later. In 2024, she also became the first female referee to take charge of a game in the Mexican league for 20 years.
FIFA had originally planned to have 52 referees at the World Cup, but Somalian official Omar Artan was denied entry to the US before the tournament started over 'vetting concerns'. Artan, considered the best referee in Africa, was due to become the first official from Somalia to oversee a World Cup game.
World Cup Referees Ordered by Confederation
AFC – Asia
- Omar Al Ali (UAE)
- Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)
- Khalid Al-Turais (Saudi Arabia)
- Alireza Faghani (Australia)
- Ma Ning (China)
- Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)
- Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)
- Yusuke Araki (Japan)
CAF – Africa
- Pierre Atcho (Gabon)
- Dahane Beida (Mauritania)
- Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)
- Jalal Jayed (Morocco)
- Amin Mohamed Omar (Egypt)
- Abongile Tom (South Africa)
UEFA – Europe
- Espen Eskås (Norway)
- Alejandro Hernández Hernández (Spain)
- István Kovács (Romania)
- François Letexier (France)
- Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
- Szymon Marciniak (Poland)
- Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
- Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
- Michael Oliver (England)
- João Pinheiro (Portugal)
- Sandro Schärer (Switzerland)
- Anthony Taylor (England)
- Clément Turpin (France)
- Slavko Vinčić (Slovenia)
- Felix Zwayer (Germany)
CONCACAF – North America, Central America and the Caribbean
- Iván Barton (El Salvador)
- Juan Gabriel Calderón (Costa Rica)
- Ismail Elfath (United States)
- Oshane Nation (Jamaica)
- Drew Fischer (Canada)
- Katia Itzel García (Mexico)
- Saíd Martínez (Honduras)
- Tori Penso (United States)
- César Arturo Ramos (Mexico)
CONMEBOL – South America
- Ramon Abatti (Brazil)
- Juan Gabriel Benítez (Paraguay)
- Raphael Claus (Brazil)
- Yael Falcón (Argentina)
- Cristián Garay (Chile)
- Darío Herrera (Argentina)
- Kevin Ortega (Peru)
- Andrés Rojas (Colombia)
- Wilton Sampaio (Brazil)
- Gustavo Tejera (Uruguay)
- Facundo Tello (Argentina)
- Jesús Valenzuela (Venezuela)
OFC – Oceania
- Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh (New Zealand)
How Were the Referees Selected?
The process of choosing the officials started after the Qatar World Cup. This involved continuously monitoring each referee's performance in domestic and international competitions, with potential candidates evaluated by FIFA instructors, fitness coaches, and doctors throughout the period. Referees were assessed using a wide range of metrics, including accuracy of decision making, match control, fitness, and communication.
Whilst remaining committed to ensuring the very best referees are taking part in the tournament, FIFA also made the deliberate decision to appoint officials from all six football confederations in order to support the development of refereeing across the globe. Alongside the 51 referees, the World Cup will also feature 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials, hailing from 50 FIFA Member Associations. The referees and assistant referees will be based in Miami for the duration of the tournament, while the video match officials will be in Dallas.
