FIFA World Cup referees 2026 unveiled as 52 referees, including six women, are selected for the expanded tournament in USA, Canada and Mexico
Football’s governing body FIFA has unveiled its official list of match officials for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, naming 52 referees, including six women, ahead of the expanded global tournament set to take place across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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The announcement was made on Thursday, confirming a wider pool of officials that also includes 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials drawn from all six football confederations and 50 member associations worldwide.
The selection marks one of the most diverse officiating teams in tournament history, reflecting the global scale of the competition and FIFA’s continued focus on referee development.
FIFA’s chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina described the selected officials as the best in the world, noting that they were identified and closely monitored over a three-year period through seminars and tournament assignments.
He added that their performances in both domestic and international competitions were consistently assessed before final selection was made.
The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in history, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches, a major expansion compared to the 32-team format used in Qatar 2022.
Officials confirmed that the tournament will feature 41 more match officials than the previous edition, reflecting its increased scale and intensity.
Collina also highlighted the inclusion of six women referees, describing it as a continuation of progress made in Qatar 2022, where women officials also took charge of matches on the global stage.
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The expanded officiating team is expected to play a crucial role in maintaining fairness and consistency throughout the month-long tournament.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
