Anthony Taylor, a Premier League and FIFA referee, has stated that he will retire from officiating immediately, ending his illustrious 20-year career in professional football.

On July 6, the 47-year-old’s last task was leading Spain to a 1-0 victory against Portugal in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Throughout his tenure, Taylor officiated 831 games, including 432 Premier League contests. He also oversaw all of the major English football domestic cup finals.

Taylor was a prison guard prior to becoming a professional referee. Prior to the 2006–07 season, he was added to the Football League referees list. In 2010, he was promoted to the Premier League.

Later, he rose to prominence as one of FIFA’s top referees, serving on the international list for 14 years and officiating 163 international games, including UEFA Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 and the FIFA World Cups in 2022 and 2026.

After giving it some thought, Taylor concluded that it was time to move on.

“Officiating at the elite level has been an immense privilege, but the pressure is intense and the scrutiny is constant,” Taylor said.

“The time is now right to step aside and look forward to transitioning to the next chapter of my career.”

The 2015 EFL Cup final, two FA Cup finals in 2017 and 2020, the 2015 Community Shield, and the 2018 Championship play-off final were all on Taylor’s list of appointments.

Additionally, he oversaw a number of significant UEFA events, including as the 2020 UEFA Super Cup, the 2021 UEFA Nations League final, and the 2023 Europa League final.

Following Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest on the pitch during Denmark’s Euro 2020 match against Finland, Taylor received a lot of appreciation for his handling of the situation.

There were challenging times in his career as well. After calling him “a disgrace” after the 2023 Europa League final, former Roma manager Jose Mourinho confronted him. Later, at Budapest Airport, fans mistreated Taylor and his family.

“That’s the worst situation I’ve dealt with in terms of abuse,” Taylor told BBC Sport in 2025.

Taylor’s service to the game was honoured by Howard Webb, chief refereeing officer at Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).

“Anthony has been a fantastic servant to the game over many years, both domestically and on the international stage,” Webb said.