FIFA’s Referees Committee has announced the final list of referees selected for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico next June.
The official FIFA list for the highly anticipated tournament includes 52 referees, 87 assistant referees, and 30 video assistant referees (VARs).
The list features a significant Arab presence, with 10 elite referees, 9 assistant referees, and 5 VARs – the largest Arab representation at the World Cup in history.
The referees selected are: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar), Khalid Al-Turais (Saudi Arabia), Omar Kortan (Somalia), Dahane Beida (Mauritania), Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria), Jalal Jiyed (Morocco), Amin Omar (Egypt), Omar Al-Ali (UAE), and Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan).
The Arab assistant referees at the World Cup are: Mohammed Al-Bakari from Saudi Arabia, Mokrane Gourari and Akram Zahrouni from Algeria, Mostafa Akrakad and Zakaria Bernissi from Morocco, Ahmed Hossam Taha and Mahmoud Abouelregal from Egypt, Mohammed Al-Hammadi from the UAE, and Ahmed Al-Rawali from Jordan.
The five Arab video assistant referees will be: Khamis Al-Marri from Qatar, Abdullah Al-Shehri from Saudi Arabia, Mahmoud Ashour from Egypt, Hamza Al-Farq from Morocco, and Mohammed Obaid from the UAE.
FIFA’s surprise decision was to exclude Jean-Jacques Ndala, currently the most prominent African referee, due to his conduct during the Morocco-Senegal match in the final of the last Africa Cup of Nations.
The World Cup is scheduled to kick off with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa at the Mexico City Stadium on Thursday, June 11.
