The IFFHS has devised an equitable method for determining the ranking of the world’s best referee in the last 35 years (1987-2022) by taking into consideration the Top 20 of each yearly ranking of the category concerned and allocating points to each place” the first placed received 20 points, the second placed 19 points, the third placed 18 points… 1 point for the 20th place. Italy’s legendary referee Pierluigi Collina, winner of the annual IFFHS Award of the World’s Best Referee for six years in a row (1998 to 2003), leads the all-time ranking with 191 points, 7 more than German Markus Merk (3 annual Awards) and the second German, Felix Brych, on the third place with 161 points (2 annual Awards and the Decade 2011-2020 Award).
The Top 31 is composed of 27 referees from UEFA and 4 from CONMEBOL. Italy is leading with 4 referees, followed by Germany and England, with 3 referees each. Pierluigi Collina is the best ranked of UEFA, Colombian Oscar Ruiz in the Top 10 is the best of CONMEBOL, Arturo Brizio Carter the best of CONCACAF and Ravshan Irmatov the best of AFC.
If Collina holds the record for the most annual Awards (6), Hungarian Sandor Puhl, ranked 11 in the all-time ranking, has won 4 consecutive Awards (1994 to 1997), one more than German Markus Merk, who won also the IFFHS Decade Award (2001-2010). Felix Brych won the second IFFHS Decade Award (2011-2020) and two annual Awards (2017 and 2021). (Source: IFFHS)
IFFHS World’s Best Referees (1987-2022)
2. Markus Merk (GER) - 184p
3. Felix Brych (GER) - 161p
4. Kim Milton Nielsen (DEN) - 159p
5. Howard Webb (ENG) - 156p
6. Björn Kuipers (NED) - 152p
7. Peter Mikkelsen (DEN) - 142p
8. Cuneyt Cakir (TUR) - 140p
9. Oscar Ruiz (COL) - 132p
10. Nicola Rizzoli (ITA) - 121p
11. Sandor Puhl (HUN) - 119p
12. Jorge Larrionda (URU) - 108p
13. Urs Meier (SUI) - 102p
14. Anders Frisk (SWE) - 100p
15. Frank De Bleeckere (BEL) - 98p
16. Pierluigi Pairetto (ITA) - 97p
17. Massimo Busacca (SUI) - 96p
17. Helmut Krug (GER) - 96p
17. Lubos Michel (SVK) - 96p
20. Juan-Carlos Loustau (ARG) - 93p
21. Roberto Rosetti (ITA) - 91p
22. Nestor Pitana (ARG) - 88p
23. Graham Poll (ENG) - 82p
24. Joel Quiniou (FRA) - 82p
25. Viktor Kassai (HUN) - 81p
26. Ravshan Irmatov (UZB) - 81p
27. Martin Atkinson (ENG) - 80p
28. Hugh Dallas (SCO) - 78p
29. Damir Skomina (SVN) - 76p
30. Mario Van der Ende (NED) - 76p
31. Michel Vautrot (FRA) - 76p
