Six of the 52 referees on FIFA’s list of match officials for the June 11–July 19 World Cup are female.
Drawing from all six confederations and representing 50 Member Associations, the FIFA Team One cohort consists of 52 referees, including six female referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 video match officials.
FIFA’s long-standing “quality first” principle served as the foundation for the appointments, and candidates’ consistent performances at FIFA tournaments and recent domestic and international competitions were taken into account.
Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer and chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, said: “The selected match officials are the very best in the world. 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 selected officials have received, and will continue to receive, comprehensive support from our fitness coaches and medical staff, including physiotherapists and a mental specialist. Our goal is to ensure that they’re in optimal physical and mental condition when they arrive in Miami on 31 May.”
“This year’s FIFA World Cup will be the biggest in history, with a 48-team line-up and 104 matches to be contested across the most extensive geographical footprint in the tournament’s history,” Collina continued. “It’ll be the largest FIFA Team One ever, with 41 more match officials than at Qatar 2022. Each of them must be ready to be appointed for a match and to contribute actively to ensuring that the refereeing at the World Cup is a success. 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.”