FIFA Selects 52 Referees Including Two Women for 2026 World Cup

FIFA has selected 52 referees, including two women, to officiate the 2026 World Cup. The tournament will take place from June 12 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, featuring 48 teams. FIFA has appointed a total of 170 match officials, surpassing the 139 chosen for the 2022 World Cup.

Among the 52 referees officiating at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, two are women. The global football governing body announced the list of referees on Thursday, which also includes three female assistant referees and one female video match official. Four years ago in Qatar, the World Cup featured three female referees and three female assistant referees. Among them, one referee, Penso, officiated the 2023 Women’s World Cup final.

FIFA stated that the appointments were made based on long-term performance and quality. Of the 170 match officials selected, 52 are referees, 88 are assistant referees, and 30 are video match officials who will participate in the tournament. This number surpasses the 139 officials appointed for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The 2026 World Cup will be the largest to date, with 48 teams competing across 104 matches.