FIFA has unveiled its full list of match officials for the 2026 World Cup, with 52 referees selected, including six women, as preparations intensify for the biggest tournament in football history.
The global football body also named 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials, drawn from all six continental confederations and representing 50 member associations.
Announcing the list on Thursday, FIFA’s chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina described the selected officials as the best available worldwide.
“The selected match officials are the very best in the world,” Collina said, noting that they emerged from a rigorous selection process spanning three years.
According to him, the referees underwent extensive monitoring, participated in training seminars, and officiated at various FIFA competitions, while their performances in both domestic and international matches were closely evaluated.
A bigger tournament, more officials
The 2026 World Cup, set to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, will mark a significant expansion of the tournament.
For the first time, 48 teams will compete, up from 32 in previous editions, resulting in a total of 104 matches. The expanded format has driven the increase in the number of match officials.
In comparison, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar featured 64 matches and fewer officials overall.
Continued push for inclusion
The inclusion of six women referees reflects FIFA’s ongoing effort to promote gender diversity in top-level football officiating.
Collina noted that this builds on progress made during the 2022 tournament, where female referees were included for the first time.
“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.
While still a small proportion of the total, the presence of women among the officiating team is seen as a step toward broader inclusion in the sport.
Focus on performance
FIFA emphasized that all selected officials earned their place based on merit, experience, and consistent performance under pressure.
With the expanded format and higher number of matches, referees are expected to play an even more critical role in ensuring fair play and maintaining the flow of games across multiple host cities.
As the countdown to kickoff begins, attention will not only be on players and teams but also on the officials tasked with overseeing what promises to be the most ambitious World Cup ever staged.
