referee assignments world cup 2022

Discover FIFA's Annual Report 2023

Media Release

Fédération Internationale de Football Association

FIFA Strasse 20, P.O Box 8044 Zurich, Switzerland, +41 (0) 43 222 7777

36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 video match officials appointed for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™

Selected match officials represent highest level of refereeing worldwide

Preparation seminars for selected match officials starting in early summer

Six women’s match officials have been appointed for the first time in World Cup history

Today, the FIFA Referees Committee announced the lists with the names of the selected match officials for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. 36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 video match officials (VMOs) have been chosen in close cooperation with the six confederations, based on their quality and the performances delivered at FIFA tournaments as well as at other international and domestic competitions in recent years.

“As always, the criteria we have used is ‘quality first’ and the selected match officials represent the highest level of refereeing worldwide,” said the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina. “The 2018 World Cup was very successful, partly because of the high standard of refereeing, and we will do our best to be even better in a few months in Qatar.”

The “Road to Qatar 2022” project started already in 2019, with more than 50 trios considered possible candidates and going through intensive preparation. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, this preparation was anything, but easy, as in-presence activities were suspended for a long period.

“The pandemic affected our activities, in particular in 2020 and at the beginning of 2021. Luckily, the World Cup was still quite far, and we had enough time to provide the candidates with good preparation. We are announcing these selections well in advance as we want to work even harder with all those who have been appointed for the FIFA World Cup, monitoring them in the next months. The message is clear: don’t rest on your laurels, keep working hard and prepare yourselves very seriously for the World Cup,” said Collina.

Massimo Busacca, FIFA’s Director of Refereeing, ensures the match officials will receive all the necessary support by FIFA, as their preparation is paramount.

“Thanks to an innovative tracking and support programme, all the match officials can be supervised by FIFA referees’ instructors even more closely and intensively than in previous years. This is a very important factor, from which we expect considerable improvements and progress in view of the FIFA World Cup 2022,” explained Busacca. “In addition to that, there will be tailor-made individual programmes, in particular concerning health and fitness. Each match official will be carefully monitored in the next months with a final assessment on technical, physical and medical aspects to be made shortly before the World Cup, in order to have them in the best conditions when the ball starts rolling in Qatar.”

The selected match officials will participate in early summer in several seminars (Asunción, Madrid and Doha), reviewing and analysing video clips of real match situations, and taking part in practical training sessions with players, which will be filmed to enable participants to receive instant feedback from the instructors.

“The key focuses of the preparation remain protecting players and the image of the game, consistency, uniformity, reading the game from a technical and tactical perspective and understanding a variety of player and team mentalities,” added Busacca. “We can’t eliminate all mistakes, but we will do everything we can to reduce them.”

The VAR system was implemented for the first time ever at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ and four years later, a team of 24 video match officials (VMOs) will operate in Qatar, ready to provide their team-mates on the pitch with technological support, if needed. Due to the very limited number of FIFA member associations having implemented the VAR system at the time, VMOs for Russia 2018 were mainly selected from Europe and South America. Today, the VAR system is used in all major competitions worldwide and VMOs from Asia, Africa, as well as Central and North America will also participate in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

For the first time in the history of the FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Referees Committee has also appointed three women's referees and three women's assistant referees.

“We are very happy that with Stéphanie Frappart from France, Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda and Yoshimi Yamashita from Japan, as well as assistant referees Neuza Back from Brazil, Karen Díaz Medina from Mexico and Kathryn Nesbitt from the USA, we have been able to call up female match officials for the first time in the history of a FIFA World Cup. This concludes a long process that began several years ago with the deployment of female referees at FIFA men’s junior and senior tournaments. In this way, we clearly emphasise that it is quality that counts for us and not gender. I would hope that in the future, the selection of elite women’s match officials for important men’s competitions will be perceived as something normal and no longer as sensational. They deserve to be at the FIFA World Cup™ because they constantly perform at a really high level, and that’s the important factor for us,” concluded the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee Pierluigi Collina.

List of the appointed match officials for the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar™

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.

Keep reading

Q&a: ‘morocco can be the dark horse of world cup 2022’, world cup 1978: army interference, violent clashes and a boycott, how much do you know about the world cup in qatar take our quiz external link this article will be opened in a new browser window, can an african team reach the world cup 2022 semi-finals.

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.

• 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.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by AFC (@theafchub)

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 : 40 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

https://www.instagram.com/p/CahkxK1LYfo/

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

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alireza Faghani (@alirezafaghani__)

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
• 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
• Age : 39 years old
• 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 
• Age : 46 years old
• 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

42-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.

20 Goalkeepers To Watch Out For At Qatar World Cup 2022

First 11 team of every country to 2022 world cup in qatar.

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

Related Posts

Brief Profile Of All The Stars Performing At World Cup Opening Ceremony

Who is Joao Felix? Closer Look At Portugal’s Forward

Julian Alvarez Is Going To Qatar: 10 Facts About The Argentine

Who is nicolas gonzalez 10 facts about the argentine player, 6 most successful african nations at the fifa world cup, fifa world cup assistant referees: meet all the 69 that will be in qatar.

Ashley Holt Kimbrel Is Craig Kimbrel's Wife: All Unknown Facts

Discussion about this post.

Who Is Brock Lesnar Ex-Fiancée, Nicole McClain? Untold Truth About Her

Sabine klopp is jürgen klopp’s ex-wife- why did they divorce in 2001 10 facts, who is becky hammon wife’s, brenda milano unknown facts, who is magnus midtbø 10 fascinating facts to know about him, holger rune’s parents: meet aneke rune and anders nødskov, renee satterthwaite is dave portnoy’s ex-wife- bio, net worth, 7 untold facts, bianca belair’s kids: meet all her children and step kids with montez ford, recommended.

15 Best Goalkeepers Of All Time

7 Best Golfers To Never Win A Major Championship

15 Best Soccer Coaches of All Time

10 Best Brazilian Soccer Players Of All Time

© 2022 RichAthletes - Profile of the richest people in sports Richathletes .

Quick Navigation

Privacy overview.

World Cup 2022: Who are the referees and other match officials?

FIFA have appointed a total of 129 match officials for the World Cup 2022

In May, FIFA announced its list of 129 match officials for the World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

Thirty-six referees from 29 countries have been chosen to take charge of the tournament’s 64 matches.

Among those 36 are two Premier League referees: Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor.

They’re joined by 69 assistant referees and 24 video match officials (VMOs) – with VAR in use at the World Cup once again.

History will be made as referees Stephanie Frappart of France, Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda and Yoshimi Yamashita of Japan, along with assistants Neuza Back of Brazil, Karen Diaz Medina of Mexico and Kathyrn Nesbitt of the United States become the first women to officiate at a FIFA men’s tournament.

Here is the full list of referees for the World Cup 2022 :

• Ivan Barton (Slovenia
• Chris Beath (Australia)
• Raphael Claus (Brazil)
• Matthew Conger (New Zealand)
• Ismail Elfath (United States)
• Mario Escobar (Guatemala)
• Alireza Faghani (Iran)
• Stephanie Frappart (France)
• Bakary Gassama (Gambia)
• Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)
• Victor Gomes (South Africa)
• Istvan Kovacs (Romania)
• Ning Ma (China)
• Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
• Szymon Marciniak (Poland)
• Antonio Mateu (Spain)
• Andres Matias Matonte Cabrera (Uruguay)
• Mohammed Abdulla Mohammed (UAE)
• Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda)
• Maguette N’Diaye (Senegal)
• Michael Oliver (England)
• Daniele Orsato (Italy)
• Kevin Ortega (Peru)
• Cesar Ramos (Mexico)
• Fernando Rapallini (Argentina)
• Wilton Sampaio (Brazil)
• Daniel Siebert (Germany)
• Janny Sikazwe (Zambia)
• Anthony Taylor (England)
• Facundo Tello (Argentina)
• Clement Turpin (France)
• Jesus Valenzuela (Venezuela)

Get the FourFourTwo Newsletter

The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...

Arsenal defender to leave this summer, in worrying move for Mikel Arteta: report

Chelsea identify Barcelona defender as summer replacement for Thiago Silva: report

Manchester City targeting Everton goalkeeper in intriguing move, with Ederson's backup looking to leave: report

Most Popular

• 2 Chelsea identify Barcelona defender as summer replacement for Thiago Silva: report
• 3 Arsenal leading the queue to sign elite midfield talent: report
• 4 Quiz! Can you name the 27 footballers who have played with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?
• 5 Manchester United star set to leave the club at end of the season, in first exit confirmation under Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Wed 15 May 2024

2024 newspaper of the year

@ Contact us

Your newsletters

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.

More from Football

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.

Most Read By Subscribers

Get Recruited Faster with a Player Profile on SoccerWire.com

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

Related News

U.S. Soccer announces nominees for 2022 Player of the Year awards

Nominees are set across all U.S. National Teams.

National Coach and Staff of the Year recipients announced for 2022

United Soccer Coaches announced 2022 awards.

U.S. Soccer hosting eighth annual SheBelieves Cup in February 2023

Details are set for the 2023 SheBelieves Cup.

USMNT sees FIFA World Cup run come to an end after 3-1 loss to Netherlands

The USMNT bowed out in the Round of 16.

USMNT advances to knockout stage of FIFA World Cup with 1-0 win over Iran

The USA has advanced through Group B.

New York Red Bulls sign USYNT defender Curtis Ofori to MLS Homegrown contract

Ofori plays for the U.S. U-19 National Team.

SOCCERWIRE MARKETPLACE

• Annapolis Cup 2024 - Applications Open Now
• Be Selected to Play 7 days in Brazil for FREE!
• The St. James FC Virginia 2024-2025 Travel Tryouts
• TSJFCV - Hiring Travel Soccer Coaches
• Hiring: U13-U19 Boys Director
• Coaches Needed
• Train with professional AC Milan coach
• Loudoun Soccer 2024/25 Travel Player Placement Sessions
• Official Elite Summer Soccer Camps with Elite Pro Clubs in Europe
• Official EPL Tickets: ARSENAL, LIVERPOOL, TOTTENHAM & MORE

College Recruiting Commitment Tracker

Featured players.

Austin Mullen

Madison Klingenspor

Ashley Brothers

Yasmine El-refai

Angelina Rios

Malia Kakes

Avery Johnson

Sophia Enwright

COLLEGE RECRUITING STARTS HERE

Join the SoccerWire College Soccer Recruiting Search Engine and learn how to be seen OVER 1 MILLION TIMES PER YEAR.

• Basic $99 – for life
• Featured $299 – for life
• Featured PLUS $399 – for life

Important Cookie Information

This site uses cookies to give you the best possible experience but do not collect personal information. By continuing to use the site you agree that we can save cookies on your device. For more information, please read our privacy policy.

• Es noticia:
• What time NFL Schedule
• Patrick Mahomes Chiefs-49ers
• Jason Kelce NFL
• Olivia Dunne Sports Illustrated
• Deion Sanders
• Sherif Lawal death
• Canelo Alvarez vs William Scull IBF
• Fury vs Usyk PPV
• Angel Reese
• Angel Reese frustration
• Kelsey Plum Sparks WNBA Transition
• Caitlin Clark Bandwagon Cam
• Caitlin Clark debut WNBA
• Donald Glover Net Worth
• Latest News
• Mega Millions winning
• COLA Increase 2025 Release Date
• Social Security Card
• Florida SNAP Recertification May 2024
• Government Direct Payments
• Volver a: Soccer

En/world-cup

• Olympic Games

World Cup 2022

How the referees for the 2022 qatar world cup are chosen.

There will be 36 referees, 69 assistants and 24 video match officials at the World Cup in Qatar

• RAQUEL CALDER�N
• ADAPTED BY SAM
• Compartir en Facebook
• Compartir en Twitter
• Compartir en Telegram
• Compartir en Whatsapp
• Enviar por email
• World Cup. All the World Cup 2022 call-ups: The full squads of the 32 teams
• World Cup. Qatar on alert: Islamic State supporters call for World Cup attacks

F IFA have announced the list of referees who will officiate at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar .

There will be 36 referees, 69 assistants and 24 video match officials heading over the tournament.

The process began three years ago, when up to 50 refereeing trios were analyzed as possible candidates.

The list of referees who will be at the 2022 Qatar World Cup

The official version is that the "best referees" are selected for the World Cup , but in reality there are a number of geographical and political considerations at play.

In addition, they must be over 25 years old and under 45.

World Cup referees are selected by FIFA's chief referee together, a 16-member committee plus a medical representative.

Ten of them are former referees and two others are in charge of judging their local leagues.

Although it hasn't been announced which referees will officiate which matches, it's important to remember that none of them can referee a match played by their national team.

Their performances in the first phase of the World Cup will determine if they are kept around for the knockout rounds.

Female representation

For the first time in the history of this tournament, there will be three female referees.

They are France's Stephanie Frappart , Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda and Japan's Yoshimi Yamashita .

Three assistant referees have also been chosen: Neuza Back of Brazil, Karen Diaz Medina of Mexico and Kathryn Nesbitt of the United States.

• World Cup News
• World Cup Winners
• Lionel Messi
• Champions League
• UCL Winners
• Europa League Winners
• Women's World Cup 2023
• UEFA Nations League
• Copa America
• Concacaf Gold Cup
• Real Madrid
• Atletico de Madrid
• Transfer Market
• Atlanta Hawks
• Boston Celtics
• Brooklyn Nets
• Charlotte Hornets
• Chicago Bulls
• Cleveland Cavaliers
• Dallas Mavericks
• Denver Nuggets
• Detroit Pistons
• Golden State Warriors
• Houston Rockets
• Indiana Pacers
• Los Angeles Clippers
• Los Angeles Lakers
• Memphis Grizzlies
• Milwaukee Bucks
• Minnesota Timberwolves
• New Orleans Pelicans
• New York Knicks
• Oklahoma City Thunder
• Orlando Magic
• Philadelphia 76ers
• Phoenix Suns
• Portland Trail Blazers
• Sacramento Kings
• San Antonio Spurs
• Toronto Raptors
• Washington Wizards
• Arizona Diamondbacks
• Atlanta Braves
• Baltimore Orioles
• Boston Red Sox
• Chicago Cubs
• Chicago White Sox
• Cincinnati Reds
• Cleveland Guardians
• Colorado Rockies
• Detroit Tigers
• Houston Astros
• Kansas City Royals
• Los Angeles Angels
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Miami Marlins
• Milwaukee Brewers
• Minnesota Twins
• New York Mets
• New York Yankees
• Oakland Athletics
• Philadelphia Phillies
• Pittsburg Pirates
• San Diego Padres
• San Francisco Giants
• Seattle Mariners
• St. Louis Cardinals
• Tampa Bay Rays
• Texas Rangers
• Toronto Blue Jays
• Washington Nationals
• Arizona Cardinals
• Atlanta Falcons
• Baltimore Ravens
• Buffalo Bills
• Carolina Panthers
• Chicago Bears
• Cincinnati Bengals
• Cleveland Browns
• Dallas Cowboys
• Denver Broncos
• Detroit Lions
• Green Bay Packers
• Houston Texans
• Indianapolis Colts
• Jacksonville Jaguars
• Kansas City Chiefs
• Las Vegas Raiders
• Los Angeles Chargers
• Los Angeles Rams
• Miami Dolphins
• Minnesota Vikings
• New England Patriots
• New Orleans Saints
• New York Giants
• New York Jets
• Philadelphia Eagles
• Pittsburgh Steelers
• San Francisco 49ers
• Seattle Seahawks
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Tennessee Titans
• Washington Commanders
• Celebrities

• Milano Cortina 2026
• Brisbane 2032
• Olympic Refuge Foundation
• Olympic Games
• Olympic Channel
• Let's Move

Who is 2022 World Cup final referee Szymon Marciniak? Meet the Polish official set to take charge of Argentina vs France

The 41-year-old will referee the showpiece event on Sunday in his second World Cup. But who is he? Discover the man who will be in charge.

Szymon Marciniak will be the man in the middle on Sunday (18 December) when Paris St-Germain club teammates Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé face each other with their national teams Argentina and France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final .

When the Polish referee steps out to lead the officiating team at Lusail Stadium, it will signify a remarkable comeback to the top of world football refereeing after serious health problems for the 41-year-old.

Who is Szymon Marciniak and what is his refereeing style? What can we expect from him on Sunday? Read on to find out.

Argentina vs France 2022 FIFA World Cup final: Five players who could lead their country to glory in Qatar

Lionel messi vs kylian mbappe: head-to-head history, records and stats, szymon marciniak refereeing style.

Marciniak was born in January 1981, and first took up refereeing when he was sent off playing a game as a youngster.

Speaking to FIFA.com , Marciniak recalls: "We spoke after the game, and (the referee) told me a very important sentence: if you think this is easy work, go and try. You will see. I was thought: why not? So, immediately I went for the course and started refereeing."

After working his way through the ranks, Marciniak took charge of his first Polish Ekstraklasa top-division match in 2009, becoming an international referee two years later.

Now, he will take charge of arguably the biggest game in football. How will he approach handling this World Cup final?

"Both teams have such amazing players, we have to be focused from the first to the very last moment," the Pole says in a video interview with FIFA.

"The players are really very fresh – it's the middle of the season. They want to win, you see the fire in the eyes of the players. I expect a very fast game .

"So concentration, concentration, more concentration – we cannot relax for even one second."

Marciniak's team for the Argentina–France clash will include his long-time assistants Pawel Sokolnick and Tomasz Listkiewicz , while American referee Ismail Elfath will serve as the fourth official.

Another Pole, Tomasz Kwiatkowski , will be the World Cup final Video Assistant Referee.

2022 FIFA World Cup final Argentina vs France: Preview, schedule and stars to watch

How to watch argentina v france 2022 fifa world cup final live, schedule and time, szymon marciniak illness.

That Marciniak will take charge at Lusail Stadium on Sunday is in itself incredible considering that barely a year ago, he was only just making a return to top-level officiating.

The Pole missed a year and a half with tachycardia – an irregular fast heartbeat – and was forced to sit out the delayed UEFA 2020 European Championship, which was held from June to July 2021.

"In the beginning, it was very difficult for me and I had to stop refereeing. I missed the UEFA European Championship, which for a referee, who is at their best age, it was a terrible feeling," Marciniak says.

However, he returned to duty last season in 2021/22 and was even appointed to referee a UEFA Champions League semi-final match between Liverpool and Villarreal.

• FIFA World Cup 2022: France v Argentina - Leading stats of the finalists

Szymon Marciniak referee history

Marciniak first began officiating Polish top-flight matches in 2009 , becoming a FIFA-list international referee in 2011 .

He worked his way through the continental and international ranks, getting his first major appointment in 2015 at the Under-21 European Championship , where he refereed the final between Sweden and Portugal.

The following season, he was named referee for the Polish Cup final before working three matches at the senior UEFA 2016 European Championship .

His first FIFA World Cup was in 2018 , when he took charge of two matches, off the back of which he was named to his first European club final as he oversaw the 2018 UEFA Super Cup derby between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid.

Although he missed EURO 2020, Marciniak is now clearly back at full fitness. He has taken charge of two games so far at Qatar 2022 , having refereed both finalist teams along the way – France's 2–1 win over Denmark and Argentina's victory over Australia by the same margin.

Related content

Argentina vs France, head-to-head: ARG have edge ahead of FIFA World Cup final vs FRA

You may like.

clock This article was published more than  1 year ago

In Qatar, one of the World Cup’s first female refs will live an ‘impossible dream’

Kathryn Nesbitt had spent a decade balancing parallel careers in analytical chemistry and soccer officiating when, in 2019, she put her scientific brain to work and synthesized a solution for the most pragmatic path forward.

Two weeks before Nesbitt left for France to serve as an assistant referee at the Women’s World Cup, she stepped down from her assistant professor position at Towson University to focus on officiating full time. What data points informed that decision? She reached the pinnacle of women’s soccer refereeing that summer and had broken into top-flight men’s soccer as well, with dozens of MLS games under her belt. Knowing the 2026 men’s World Cup would be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, Nesbitt mapped out a plan that would culminate in her being on the sideline of the sport’s premier spectacle.

“I had no idea if they’d ever let women officiate at that World Cup, but I wanted to see if I could do that,” said Nesbitt, 34. “I realized at the time that in order to even attempt that, I would need to dedicate all of my time and effort into one job.”

Once Nesbitt shifted her focus to officiating, her ascent accelerated. In 2020, she claimed MLS assistant referee of the year honors and became the first woman to officiate an MLS Cup final. A few months later, Concacaf — the confederation that oversees soccer in North America, Central America and the Caribbean — tasked her with men’s World Cup qualifying assignments. By the time FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, announced its pool of referees for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Philadelphia-based official thought she might have a shot.

On May 19, Nesbitt woke up, scrolled through Twitter and saw FIFA’s unveiling . The tournament, FIFA stated in its announcement, would feature the first female referees in the 92-year history of the men’s World Cup , with six women among the 129 officials.

Zooming in on the 69 assistant referees, she saw the listing : “NESBITT Kathryn. USA.”

“I just got jaw-dropped, stared at it, couldn’t even believe that this was happening,” Nesbitt recalled. “Then I probably jumped around the room for the next 20 minutes.”

Nesbitt prides herself, as a referee or a chemist, in processing the information at her disposal and arriving at the right conclusion. But in calculating her path to a men’s World Cup assignment, she shortchanged herself — by four years, in fact.

“She certainly achieves the highest standard in everything that she does,” said Mark Geiger, a former MLS, Olympic and World Cup referee who now serves as the director of senior match officials at the U.S.-based Professional Referee Organization . “She doesn’t settle for anything. She sets goals for herself, and she does everything that she possibly can to achieve those goals, whether it’s in the science field or whether it’s on the soccer field.”

A soccer player in her youth, Nesbitt was a restless 14-year-old sitting through her little brother’s games in Rochester, N.Y., when she first volunteered to be an assistant referee (commonly known as a linesman). The role typically involves making throw-in, goal kick, corner kick, foul and offside calls, but as a teen volunteer with a familial conflict of interest, Nesbitt was simply asked to wave the flag when the ball went out of bounds and leave the rest to the paid referee.

“Then one of the guys actually asked me, ‘Hey, would you like to make money doing this?’ ” Nesbitt said. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, that sounds great.’ ”

A senior-level figure skater and a volleyball player who competed for St. John Fisher University in Rochester, Nesbitt divided her time among no shortage of athletic exploits. Around the time she was wrapping up her college career, she began serving as a fourth official — a largely administrative role stationed between the team benches — for games involving Rochester’s minor league men’s team. Before long, Nesbitt landed a spot in a now-defunct U.S. Soccer program for fast-tracking top officiating prospects. In 2013, she became an assistant referee for the NWSL. Felisha Mariscal broke through as an MLS official a year later, and Nesbitt made her MLS debut in 2015.

Graphic: A closer look at the USMNT

But even as she rose up the ranks, soccer remained a side hustle. After studying chemistry as a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh and completing a postdoctoral research fellowship at Michigan, Nesbitt joined the faculty at Towson, a public university in Maryland, in 2017. For the better part of two years, she did some 50 hours of lab research per week. Most Friday nights, Nesbitt would crawl to the airport through Baltimore rush-hour traffic and hop on a plane — to Los Angeles, Minnesota or wherever else her MLS assignments took her. After officiating a match, she would fly back Sunday night and do it all again.

“She managed those competing responsibilities exceptionally well,” said John Sivey, a professor who worked with Nesbitt in Towson’s chemistry department. “I don’t know how she did it, to be very honest, because the demands of both of those careers can be pretty substantial.”

After those long days of lab research, Nesbitt would flip on MLS games or devour film of the teams she would be officiating that weekend. Deeply understanding each club’s players and tactics allows her to better anticipate the flow of the game, she reasoned, and helps her parlay her strengths in academia to the soccer pitch.

“One of the characteristics that I think strongly overlaps between a very good sports official and a very good analytical chemist is precision,” said Sivey, himself a former high school baseball and softball umpire and basketball referee. “For precision in analytical chemistry, we basically mean: How repeatable or reproducible is a particular experiment? In the sports officiating world, I think that looks a lot like consistency.”

To Geiger, who officiated alongside Nesbitt before retiring as a referee in 2019, that precision is just one of Nesbitt’s strengths. As a 6-foot former college athlete, she has no problem acing refereeing fitness standards designed for men. And Geiger can’t recall seeing her rattled, even in games that threatened to spiral out of the referee crew’s control.

“She not only can analyze what the correct decision should be, but she also knows from a feeling aspect what the best decision for the game would be,” Geiger said. “And they’re not always the same. Sometimes you need to really feel the game and know what the best decision is at that particular moment and what’s going to help the referee group maintain control of the game. She understands that.”

Although MLS recently completed its eighth season using female referees, Nesbitt last year became the first woman to officiate Concacaf men’s World Cup qualifying games . She remembered getting plenty of stares from players, especially in those first few matches. Nesbitt said match coordinators also tended to mistakenly assume she was just the fourth official, there to help with substitutions and timekeeping but not roam the pitch.

“One of the biggest things I’ve learned in my career — and this has been in chemistry too, both being very male-heavy areas — is the best way to impress is to do your job well,” Nesbitt said. “But it would always be funny the first time I would do a sprint with one of the players down to the corner flag, and he’d look over, and I’d be keeping up with him. I think that had a really big effect just gaining some respect.”

Within months of her first men’s qualifier, Nesbitt had gained enough respect to book her ticket to Qatar. On that May morning when FIFA unveiled the World Cup officials, Sivey went door to door through the Towson chemistry department to excitedly share the news of their former colleague’s new assignment.

USMNT’s Walker Zimmerman is a very good soccer player. He might be a better teammate.

Eventually, Nesbitt figures she will hang up her cleats, stash away her flag and return to chemistry. For now, though, she understands her status as a soccer trailblazer — even if hearing that label prompts her to let out an embarrassed groan. As she prepares to make World Cup history, Nesbitt revels, appropriately enough, in the satisfaction that she made the right call back in 2019.

“This was an impossible dream for me, and just being able to witness females at this event now makes this realistic for all women,” Nesbitt said. “Whether it be in refereeing, whether it be in a different sport, whether it be in something completely different — sometimes just having a visual like that can make something actually be real. If I get to play even a small role in that, that’s really cool.”

Welcome Back!

We love that you love The18.com. Help us kick out more great content with a small donation in support of independent journalism.

Search form

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

Get the best email in soccer.

• Website Submission
• Website Top Of Article Submission

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.

• Google Plus One
• Share on Facebook
• Tweet Widget

Videos you might like

Stories you might like, trending on the18.

Inter Miami’s Matías Rojas scores Messi-esque free-kick to inspire comeback win

Arsenal defeat Manchester United at Old Trafford after horrible Casemiro defensive error

Offside or not? We’ll never know because the linesman raised his flag too early

31-year-old American manager Hurzeler secures promotion to Bundesliga with St. Pauli

36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 video match officials appointed for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™

Today, the FIFA Referees Committee announced the lists with the names of the selected match officials for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

Selected match officials represent highest level of refereeing worldwide

Preparation seminars for selected match officials starting in early summer

Six women’s match officials have been appointed for the first time in World Cup history

Today, the FIFA Referees Committee announced the lists with the names of the selected match officials for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. 36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 video match officials (VMOs) have been chosen in close cooperation with the six confederations, based on their quality and the performances delivered at FIFA tournaments as well as at other international and domestic competitions in recent years.

“As always, the criteria we have used is ‘quality first’ and the selected match officials represent the highest level of refereeing worldwide,” said the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina. “The 2018 World Cup was very successful, partly because of the high standard of refereeing, and we will do our best to be even better in a few months in Qatar.”

The “Road to Qatar 2022” project started already in 2019, with more than 50 trios considered possible candidates and going through intensive preparation. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, this preparation was anything, but easy, as in-presence activities were suspended for a long period.

“The pandemic affected our activities, in particular in 2020 and at the beginning of 2021. Luckily, the World Cup was still quite far, and we had enough time to provide the candidates with good preparation. We are announcing these selections well in advance as we want to work even harder with all those who have been appointed for the FIFA World Cup, monitoring them in the next months. The message is clear: don’t rest on your laurels, keep working hard and prepare yourselves very seriously for the World Cup,” said Collina.

Massimo Busacca, FIFA’s Director of Refereeing, ensures the match officials will receive all the necessary support by FIFA, as their preparation is paramount.

“Thanks to an innovative tracking and support programme, all the match officials can be supervised by FIFA referees’ instructors even more closely and intensively than in previous years. This is a very important factor, from which we expect considerable improvements and progress in view of the FIFA World Cup 2022,” explained Busacca. “In addition to that, there will be tailor-made individual programmes, in particular concerning health and fitness. Each match official will be carefully monitored in the next months with a final assessment on technical, physical and medical aspects to be made shortly before the World Cup, in order to have them in the best conditions when the ball starts rolling in Qatar.”

The selected match officials will participate in early summer in several seminars (Asunción, Madrid and Doha), reviewing and analysing video clips of real match situations, and taking part in practical training sessions with players, which will be filmed to enable participants to receive instant feedback from the instructors.

“The key focuses of the preparation remain protecting players and the image of the game, consistency, uniformity, reading the game from a technical and tactical perspective and understanding a variety of player and team mentalities,” added Busacca. “We can’t eliminate all mistakes, but we will do everything we can to reduce them.”

The VAR system was implemented for the first time ever at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ and four years later, a team of 24 video match officials (VMOs) will operate in Qatar, ready to provide their team-mates on the pitch with technological support, if needed. Due to the very limited number of FIFA member associations having implemented the VAR system at the time, VMOs for Russia 2018 were mainly selected from Europe and South America. Today, the VAR system is used in all major competitions worldwide and VMOs from Asia, Africa, as well as Central and North America will also participate in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

For the first time in the history of the FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Referees Committee has also appointed three women's referees and three women's assistant referees.

“We are very happy that with Stéphanie Frappart from France, Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda and Yoshimi Yamashita from Japan, as well as assistant referees Neuza Back from Brazil, Karen Díaz Medina from Mexico and Kathryn Nesbitt from the USA, we have been able to call up female match officials for the first time in the history of a FIFA World Cup. This concludes a long process that began several years ago with the deployment of female referees at FIFA men’s junior and senior tournaments. In this way, we clearly emphasise that it is quality that counts for us and not gender. I would hope that in the future, the selection of elite women’s match officials for important men’s competitions will be perceived as something normal and no longer as sensational. They deserve to be at the FIFA World Cup™ because they constantly perform at a really high level, and that’s the important factor for us,” concluded the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee Pierluigi Collina.

List of the appointed match officials for the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar™

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!

• Coach’s Challenge
• Ref Reading
• Player Safety
• Tonight’s Officials: NHL
• Tonight’s Officials: ECHL
• Tonight’s Officlals: QMJHL
• Tonight’s Officials IIHF
• 2023 Playoffs
• NHL Officials
• AHL Officials
• ECHL Officials
• OHL Officials
• QMJHL Officials
• WHL Officials
• USHL Officials
• Hockey Canada
• NCAA Hockey
• 2024 Playoffs
• 2020 Playoffs
• 2019 Playoffs
• 2018-19 Season

Select Page

IIHF Referees and Linespersons for 2024 World Championship

May 9, 2024 | IIHF , News

The International Ice Hockey Federation has selected the 32 on-ice officials who will be working the 2024 IIHF World Championship .   This year’s tournament, which kicks off on May 10, will be held in Prague and Ostrava, Czechia. The Gold Medal game is set for May 26.

Group A will feature Austria, Canada, Denmark, Great Britain, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, and host Czechia. Group B includes France, Germany, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, and the United States.

Here are the referees and linesmen for the 2024 IIHF World Championship:

Andris Ansons #26 (Latvia) Tobias Bjork #25 (Sweden) Riku Brander #19 (Finland) Michael Campbell #18 (Canada) Martin Frano #11 (Czechia) Lassi Heikkinen #29 (Finland) Christoffer Holm #22 (Sweden) Mikael Holm #15 (Sweden) Jan Hribik #30 (Czechia) Tomas Hronsky #20 (Slovakia) Mikko Kaukokari #27 (Finland) Sean MacFarlane #10 (USA) Mark Pearce #12 (Canada) Andre Schrader #21 (Germany) Michael Tscherrig #23 (Switzerland) Kristian Vikman #16 (Finland)

Linespersons

Kevin Briganti #54 (USA) Nick Briganti #52 (USA) Oto Durmis #69 (Slovakia) Dario Fuchs #62 (Switzerland) Shane Gustafson #55 (USA) Tim Heffner #57 (Germany) Andreas Hofer #58 (Germany) Daniel Hynek #64 (Czechia) Ludvig Lundgren #53 (Sweden) Lauri Nikulainen #66 (Finland) Anders Nyqvist #60 (Sweden) Jiri Ondracek #50 (Czechia) Josef Spur #51 (Czechia) Tarrington Wyonzek #70 (Canada) Emil Yletyinen #56 (Sweden) Davis Zunde #65 (Latvia)

Officiating coaches are Lukas Jankovic (Czechia), Jere Lahti (Finland), Christer Larking (Sweden), Jukka Pakaslahti (Finland), Vladimir Sindler (Czechia), Tomas Torsbrink (Sweden), and Scott Zelkin (USA).

Congratulations and good luck to the officials selected to work the 2024 IIHF World Championship.

Recent Posts

1Win Casino 'daki slot makinelerinde şansınızı denemeye hazır mısınız? Şanslı bir kazanan olun ve sadece birkaç tıklamayla hesabınıza gerçek para aktarın.

Interested in gambling sites not based in the UK? These non UK based gambling sites bring exclusive games and offers. Dive into the action now!