FIFA has unveiled the match officials for the 2026 World Cup, confirming a significantly expanded roster for the largest football tournament in history.
A total of 52 referees, including six women, will take charge of matches between 11 June and 19 July across the United States, Canada and Mexico. They will be supported by 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials drawn from all six confederations and 50 member associations.
“The selected match officials are the very best in the world,” said FIFA’s chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina.
“They were part of a wider pool of officials that was identified and monitored over the past three years. They have attended seminars and officiated at FIFA tournaments.
“In addition, their performances in domestic and international matches were regularly assessed.”
The expanded tournament will feature 48 teams and 104 matches, a sharp increase from the 64 fixtures played at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. FIFA says the larger refereeing team reflects the demands of the new format.
Collina added that the inclusion of six women continues the progress made in recent years.
“The fact that six women match officials have been selected continues a trend that was started four years ago in Qatar as we aim to further develop women’s refereeing,” he said.
List of referees for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
