Doha [Qatar], April 10: A team of four including referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim from Qatar have been named among a record 170 match officials for 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the decisive rounds of the AFC Champions League.
FIFA on Thursday named 52 referees for the World Cup in summer, including Poland's Szymon Marciniak who officiated the 2022 final between Argentina and France.
The list features a distinguished Qatari refereeing team, underlining growing international trust in the country's officiating standards and ability to handle football's biggest stages.
Abdulrahman Al Jassim has been selected as referee, with Saud Ahmed and Talib Salem Al Marri named as assistant referees, while Khamis Al Marri will serve as Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
The appointment reflects the progress made by Qatari refereeing in recent years, following consistent performances in major continental and global competitions that have strengthened both experience and reputation.
At the continental level, Qatari officials will play a prominent role in the final rounds of the AFC Champions League, to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from April 16 to 25.
The Asian Football Confederation has selected four Qatari referees for the decisive stage, including international referees Abdulrahman Al Jassim and Salman Fallahi, alongside assistant referees Ramzan Al Nuaimi and Al Marri.
Their inclusion in both the World Cup and the latter stages of Asia's premier club competition highlights the sustained rise of Qatari referees, driven by strong performances and accumulated experience in top-level tournaments.
The dual appointments further cement Qatar's growing influence in international officiating, as its referees continue to gain recognition across the world and the continent.
Football's world governing body named 88 assistant referees and 30 video assistant referees for the June 11-July 19 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The match officials come from 50 member federations across all FIFA confederations and also include six women, after Stephanie Frappart of France became the first woman in charge of a men's World Cup game four years ago in Qatar. Frappart is not part of the 2026 officials.
"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," FIFA referee commission chairman Pierluigi Collina said.
The record number of 170 match officials is up 41 from 2022 because the World Cup has been expanded from 32 to 48 teams, with 104 matches to be played.
"The selected match officials are the very best in the world," Collina said. "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."
Source: Qatar Tribune
