The World Cup 2026 is the biggest tournament in the competition’s history, with 48 teams contesting 104 games this summer. This year’s edition features more referees than ever before, with 51 officials selected to take charge of matches across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Referee selection and breakdown
The pool of referees includes officials from all six confederations. Europe leads with 15 referees, followed by South America with 12. These officials were chosen by FIFA after three years of meticulous performance assessment.
Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor are the most recognizable names for UK football fans. Both are widely regarded as England’s finest officials, with extensive experience in the Premier League and Champions League. They were also involved in the 2022 World Cup and the last two European Championships.
England is one of six countries with more than one referee, while Brazil and Argentina have three each. Polish referee Szymon Marciniak is another notable name, having officiated the 2022 World Cup final and the 2023 Champions League final, becoming only the second referee to oversee both finals in the same season.
Other familiar names from European club competitions include François Letexier, Clément Turpin, Danny Makkelie, and Felix Zwayer.
Women referees and notable exclusions
FIFA’s list includes two women: Tori Penso from the United States and Katia Itzel García from Mexico. Penso officiated the 2023 Women’s World Cup final and will become the first American woman to referee a men’s World Cup. García participated in the 2023 Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Olympics, and in 2024 she became the first female referee in the Mexican league in 20 years.
FIFA originally planned 52 referees, but Somalian official Omar Artan was denied entry to the US over vetting concerns. Artan, considered Africa’s best referee, would have been the first Somali to officiate a World Cup game.
Full list of referees by confederation
AFC – Asia
- Omar Al Ali (UAE)
- Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)
- Khalid Al-Turais (Saudi Arabia)
- Alireza Faghani (Australia)
- Ma Ning (China)
- Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)
- Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)
- Yusuke Araki (Japan)
CAF – Africa
- Pierre Atcho (Gabon)
- Dahane Beida (Mauritania)
- Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)
- Jalal Jayed (Morocco)
- Amin Mohamed Omar (Egypt)
- Abongile Tom (South Africa)
UEFA – Europe
- Espen Eskås (Norway)
- Alejandro Hernández Hernández (Spain)
- István Kovács (Romania)
- François Letexier (France)
- Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
- Szymon Marciniak (Poland)
- Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
- Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
- Michael Oliver (England)
- João Pinheiro (Portugal)
- Sandro Schärer (Switzerland)
- Anthony Taylor (England)
- Clément Turpin (France)
- Slavko Vinčić (Slovenia)
- Felix Zwayer (Germany)
CONCACAF – North America, Central America and the Caribbean
- Iván Barton (El Salvador)
- Juan Gabriel Calderón (Costa Rica)
- Ismail Elfath (United States)
- Oshane Nation (Jamaica)
- Drew Fischer (Canada)
- Katia Itzel García (Mexico)
- Saíd Martínez (Honduras)
- Tori Penso (United States)
- César Arturo Ramos (Mexico)
CONMEBOL – South America
- Ramon Abatti (Brazil)
- Juan Gabriel Benítez (Paraguay)
- Raphael Claus (Brazil)
- Yael Falcón (Argentina)
- Cristián Garay (Chile)
- Darío Herrera (Argentina)
- Kevin Ortega (Peru)
- Andrés Rojas (Colombia)
- Wilton Sampaio (Brazil)
- Gustavo Tejera (Uruguay)
- Facundo Tello (Argentina)
- Jesús Valenzuela (Venezuela)
OFC – Oceania
- Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh (New Zealand)
Selection process
The selection process began after the 2022 World Cup. FIFA instructors, fitness coaches, and doctors continuously monitored each referee’s performance in domestic and international competitions. Referees were assessed on decision-making accuracy, match control, fitness, and communication.
While prioritizing the best officials, FIFA also aimed to include referees from all six confederations to support global refereeing development. Alongside the 51 referees, the tournament features 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials from 50 FIFA member associations. Referees and assistants are based in Miami, while video officials are in Dallas.
