2026 FIFA World Cup officials
The following is a list of match officials (referees, assistant referees, and video assistant referees) who officiated at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The list also includes the appointments received by each match official.
Referees and assistant referees
On April 9, 2026, FIFA announced the list of 52 referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 video assistant referees for the tournament.[1][2] The 2026 tournament featured six female match officials, matching the record for the highest number of female officials appointed to a men's World Cup.[3][4]
Tori Penso (United States) and Katia Itzel García (Mexico) were selected as referees, making them the first female on-field referees from their respective nations to officiate a men's World Cup tournament.[5] They were joined by assistant referees Brooke Mayo (United States), Kathryn Nesbitt (United States), and Sandra Ramírez (Mexico), as well as Tatiana Guzmán (Nicaragua), who served as a video assistant referee.[6] On June 18, 2026, Penso, Mayo, and Nesbitt became the second all-female on-field refereeing trio at a men's World Cup, taking charge of the Group A match between the Czech Republic and South Africa at Atlanta Stadium.[7]
Additionally, Omar Artan from Somalia was originally selected to officiate at the tournament. However, he was removed from the list after being refused entry to the United States at Miami International Airport. Despite holding valid travel documentation, he was declared inadmissible due to "vetting concerns" and alleged "association with suspected members of terror organizations".[8] Artan strongly denied any links to terror groups. Upon his return to Somalia, it was announced that Artan would receive his full World Cup salary despite not being able to officiate in the tournament.[9]
On July 16, 2026, FIFA announced that Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić would adjudicate the final.[10]
Video assistant referees
On May 7, 2026, Willy Delajod was chosen as a last-minute addition to the video match official team. On May 15, Delajod's additional was confirmed as a replacement of Dutch VAR Rob Dieperink, who was abruptly dropped by FIFA following his arrest in England.[12][13]
| Confederation | Video assistant referee |
|---|---|
| AFC | Khamis Al-Marri (Qatar) |
| Abdullah Al-Shehri (Saudi Arabia) | |
| Shaun Evans (Australia) | |
| Fu Ming (China) | |
| Mohammed Obaid Khadim (United Arab Emirates) | |
| CAF | Mahmoud Ashour (Egypt) |
| Hamza El Fariq (Morocco) | |
| CONCACAF | Joe Dickerson (United States) |
| Armando Villarreal (United States) | |
| Erick Miranda (Mexico) | |
| Tatiana Guzmán (Nicaragua) | |
| CONMEBOL | Juan Lara (Chile) |
| Hernán Mastrángelo (Argentina) | |
| Antonio García (Uruguay) | |
| Leodán González (Uruguay) | |
| Juan Soto (Venezuela) | |
| Nicolás Gallo (Colombia) | |
| Rodolpho Toski (Brazil) | |
| Guillermo Pacheco (Mexico) | |
| UEFA | Jérôme Brisard (France) |
| Willy Delajod (France) | |
| Bastian Dankert (Germany) | |
| Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain) | |
| Marco Di Bello (Italy) | |
| Ivan Bebek (Croatia) | |
| Jarred Gillett (England) | |
| Dennis Higler (Netherlands) | |
| Tomasz Kwiatkowski (Poland) | |
| Bram Van Driessche (Belgium) | |
| Fedayi San (Switzerland) |
Notes
- ↑ Michael Oliver was originally appointed to the Ivory Coast vs Ecuador match but he pulled out due to a minor injury.[11]
References
- ↑ "Match officials appointed for World Cup 2026". FIFA. April 9, 2026. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
- ↑ "Match officials appointed for World Cup 2026" (PDF). FIFA. April 9, 2026. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
- ↑ Staff (June 29, 2026). "Six Female Referees Make History at FIFA World Cup 2026". Greek City Times. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Meet the six female referees making history at the 2026 World Cup - roles, names and profiles". AS. June 21, 2026. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Garcia, Penso Headline Concacaf Female Referees at FIFA World Cup 2026". CONCACAF. June 10, 2026. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- ↑ "All-female referee team make history at FIFA World Cup 2026". International Olympic Committee. June 23, 2026. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- ↑ "All-Woman Referee Trio Takes Center Stage at FIFA World Cup 2026". U.S. Soccer. June 17, 2026. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- ↑ Mike Peter (June 8, 2026). "Somali referee Artan barred from entering USA". BBC Sport. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
- ↑ Ogden, Mark (June 14, 2026). "Somali referee Omar Artan to receive full pay from FIFA after being refused U.S. entry". ESPN. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Slovenian Slavko Vinčić to take charge of FIFA World Cup 2026™ final". FIFA. July 16, 2026. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
- ↑ Fish, Hal (June 12, 2026). "English Referee Michael Oliver Out of 2026 World Cup Match as FIFA Issue Statement". GiveMeSport. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Willy Delajod selected for VAR at 2026 World Cup as France add to contingent". OneFootball. May 7, 2026. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
- ↑ "KNVB haalt scheidsrechter Rob Dieperink van beslissend duel NEC af" (in Dutch). De Telegraaf. May 15, 2026. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
External links
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| Finals | |
| Squads | |
| Final draw | |
| Broadcasters | |
| Bids | |
| Officials | |
| Team appearances | |
| Other records |
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| Miscellaneous | |
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